The City of Estevan will celebrate the rededication of the runways at the Estevan Airport by bringing in one of Canada’s most famous groups.
The Snowbirds team will be appearing on July 26 for a 45-minute show that will see the military aerobatics team perform a number of stunts and manoeuvres for the audience. Their visit will cap an afternoon filled with activities.
The rededication ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. There will be speeches, and a plaque presentation that will acknowledge the work that has been done at the airport.
“Last summer we repaved all of the runways and taxiways at the airport. A tremendous amount of work and effort and money was spent on the airport to upgrade it to its current state, and we just wanted to have a celebration to recognize the work that was done, and have something for the public so that everyone would be able to appreciate what having an airport like this brings to the community,” said airport manager Richard Reetz.
An airshow will begin at 5 p.m. with a brief aerobatics display by Brent Handy of Moose Jaw. The Snowbirds will emerge from the airport and start their aircraft at 5:20 p.m., and then take to the sky for their performance.
Reetz is looking forward to the Snowbirds’ appearance. It will be their first show in Estevan since 2006.
“The Snowbirds are known worldwide for the show they perform,” said Reetz. “They travel all across North America. In fact, the next show after Estevan, they will be leaving on the Wednesday and heading to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which is the biggest airshow in the world.”
It’s the Snowbirds first appearance in Oshkosh in 30 years.
The airport applied in 2014 to bring the Snowbirds to Estevan, but there is a two-year waiting list for the squadron.
“There’s a limited number of weekends and shows where they can perform, so we’re really happy to have them,” said Reetz.
The appearance will happen at the same time as the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan, and while the timing is coincidental, Reetz hopes they can attract spectators who are in the city for the Games.
“They’ll have an opportunity to see something that you normally wouldn’t have at the same time as the Summer Games,” said Reetz.
Tickets will be $5 for teens and adults, and free for those 12 and under. The airport will not be selling tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.
Doors will open at 3 p.m.
Reetz is optimistic they can attract 2,000 to 3,000 people.
The airport’s runways were resurfaced last year in a $4.6 million project. The runways were damaged during the flood of 2011, and so the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program funded the bulk of the project.
Since the runways were finished, they have been well-used, Reetz said, although he admits traffic is down due to the local economic slowdown.
“We’ve had nothing but positive feedback and comments with regards to their condition and the improvement and upgrades that were done to it last year,” said Reetz.
Reetz believes the runway upgrades have given Estevan a top-notch airport, and they should last for 25 years before additional upgrades are needed.
