Everyone is being encouraged to wear red on Wednesday, June 7 to mark Armed Forces Day in North Bay.
The 11th annual in-person event celebrates and supports Canadian and American military personnel who work and live in North Bay.
It’s taking place from 10:30 am until 3 pm at the North Bay Waterfront.
Along with the CF-18 Tactical Demonstration Team, the Canadian Armed Forces SkyHawks Parachute Team is here.
“You’re going to see a demonstration of our skills and crew in Canopy Relative Work,” says Corporal Ugo Smith, with the Skyhawks. “We have three formations, three passes and you guys are all going to see us fall out of the sky and do all that fun stuff.”
He says the best part of performing at events like Armed Forces Day is talking with people afterward.
“Right after the jump we’re into the crowd and we get to actually talk to the crowd,” he says. “It’s very fun. I really like that.”
The event also includes performances by the 22 Wing Band, with a CH-147 Chinook helicopter and other static displays too.
On Tuesday, local residents may also get an impromptu look at the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, as the air demonstration squadron stopped in North Bay to refuel.
They performed in Thunder Bay last weekend, are doing a non-aerobatic display at the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto on June 8 and are performing in Barrie this weekend.
For Armed Forces Day on Wednesday, officials advise Memorial Drive will be closed from 7 am until 4 pm with parking available at municipal lots 2 and 10 on Oak Street, nearby the North Bay Museum and North Bay Transit Terminal.
Accessible parking will be available at the waterfront.
Along with the waterfront being a ‘no drone zone’ during the event, the city says residents can expect to hear extra noise while the CF-18 Tactical Demonstration Team takes to the sky.
