Toronto Air Show: Locals call for end to 'traumatizing' event after years of criticism — 'Disneyland for war'

The end of summer in Toronto is marked every year by the Canadian International Air Show, when civilian and military aircraft fly over the city as locals gather at Exhibition Place to watch. This year, over the Labour Day long weekend, marks its 75th anniversary — to the delight and horror of many.

It all began in 1946, when the National Aeronautical Association of Canada put on a display at de Havilland Canada manufacturing plant at Downsview Airport. Crowds overflowed, leading the show to become an annual event.

As some on social media have noted, the Air Show is “a source of awe and entertainment,” and an “amazing event for the whole family,” at least according to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

This year alone is set to feature the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, RAF Red Arrows, the U.S.A.F. F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team, and more.

While it all certainly is a spectacle, it’s also loud and, if you ask some, offensive.

Toronto Air Show is much more than just noise nuisance: 'Disturbing'

For years, Torontonians — particularly those in the city centre — have moaned about just how loud the jet planes can be, and complained to the city with no change in tradition.

But the noise isn’t just a simple nuisance. According to people who have long been demanding an end to the Air Show, the noise is similar to that experienced by many refugees new to the city, who heard similar noise while living in active war zones.

For Emine Fidan Elcioglu, associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, though not a refugee herself, a mere video segment of last year’s Air Show triggered “disturbing” childhood memories of living in Riyadh during the Gulf War.

“In a city like Toronto, where nearly half the population are foreign-born — of which almost a quarter arrived as refugees fleeing violence — air shows seem especially tone-deaf, politically speaking,” she says. “Just like with anything else, [it] does not occur in a social, political, or economic vacuum. … Aeronautical stunts, albeit entertaining, help glorify the military industrial complex, while obscuring the human and economic toll of military aggression and war.”

Touching on how air shows have been criticized for years, Elcioglu notes how a U.S. combat veteran once referred to an air show in San Diego as a “Disneyland for war.”

“It is deeply traumatizing for many people,” says Rachel Small, the Canada organizer behind World Beyond War, an advocacy project that has been protesting against the Air Show. “Toronto likes to brag about being a city that welcomes people from all over the world, many of whom have fled war zones where the same type of fighter jet made by the same companies have destroyed their communities and, in many cases, killed their family members. And now, they’re flying over Toronto as some sort of performance. It's hard to understand how this can be justified.”

Toronto Air Show 'sympathizes' in tough-to-digest statement

When asked how it feels to hear this feedback, Colleen McCourt, manager of public affairs and media relations for the Canadian International Air Show, said: "While we sympathize with the sensitivity that some members of the public might feel, our goal has always been to inspire the public to follow their dreams and have an appreciation for the field of aerospace for generations to come."

It’s a statement that was tough to digest for Small, who could only laugh in response. She said, “If we're talking about inspiring the public to follow their dreams, what dreams are we talking about that involve some of the deadliest war planes on the planet? These are stealth jets literally designed to carry bombs and missiles that cause massive devastation around the world.”

In fact, Lockheed Martin — which has had many an aircraft fly in the Air Show — is the world's largest weapons producer. In 2022, the U.S. military and industrial corporation’s arms sales hit nearly $60 billion, about 75 per cent of which came from Department of Defense contracts. In addition, Lockheed Martin manufactures AGM-114 Hellfire missiles — 2,000 of which were delivered to Israel last October and November when the conflict in Palestine began.

“Literally, nobody profits more from war and blood on Earth than they do,” adds Small. “No one is opposing ‘the field of aerospace.’ But it's clear that these companies and the Canadian Armed Forces are using the Toronto Air Show in an attempt to sanitize the impact of these weapons.”

Making matters more complicated, many have long suspected the Air Show often exceeds city noise thresholds. But, in 2017, the City of Toronto released a statement that said the Air Show "complies with all regulations, including those published by Transport Canada, relating to noise.”

Perhaps it’s time for another evaluation. Until then, activists will continue protesting for an end to the annual tradition, which seems to have more haters than supporters these days (at least according to a search on X, formerly Twitter, highlights). On Saturday, as the Air Show kicks off, World Beyond War will be hosting a rally and march right by Exhibition Place, with speakers sharing their experiences with the violence of fighter jets. They’ll also be measuring sound levels of the planes.

Toronto Air Show's considerable carbon footprint: 'Easy first step'

Another concern is the Air Show's carbon footprint, as considerable fuel is consumed during the show and training beforehand. For the record, that's toxic propellant fuel, which is harmful to environmental and human health.

“I’m not sure any of our anti-war campaigns have had as much unified support from as many people across Toronto as those who hate the Air Show,” says Small. “We’re trying to say enough, cancel the Air Show. It's really an advertisement for war, militarism and weaponry, and it should not happen anymore.”

World Beyond War has launched an endorsement letter, which so far includes sign-offs from Toronto Families 4 Palestine, OccupyUofT, Shelter & Housing Justice Network and more, and plan to meet and discuss the annual tradition with city councillors in the fall.

"If Toronto City Council is actually serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions as it recently announced, then the elimination of air shows seems like an easy first step," says Elcioglu. "What with the other social problems the GTA faces – from food insecurity to homelessness to under/unemployment, to name just a few – one can’t help but wonder: aren’t there more worthwhile ways the city could spend the millions of dollars budgeted for the annual air show?"

An excellent question. And as the great Toronto filmmaker Sarah Polley once tweeted, “The Toronto Air Show. An annual tradition where a few people enjoy themselves and the rest of the city shudders. A metaphor.”