SASKATOON -- Premier Scott Moe is one of many in Saskatchewan offering condolences after a member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds was killed in a crash in Kamloops, B.C. Sunday.
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“Saskatchewan offers our deepest condolences to the @CFSnowbirds and to the family and friends of the Snowbirds team member who tragically lost their life today,” Moe said in a tweet.
The plane crashed into a residence in Kamloops around 11:42 a.m. Sunday, leaving one dead and one injured.
Capt. Jennifer Casey was identified as the team member killed in the crash.
The pilot of the jet, Capt. Richard MacDougall, was able to eject from the aircraft and landed on the roof of a home. He has serious but non-life threatening injuries, the Royal Canadian Air Force confirmed in a tweet.
According to the Snowbirds website, Casey is originally from Halifax, N.S. and joined the Canadian Forces in 2014, following a career in journalism. She joined the Snowbirds in 2018.
The Snowbirds were on a cross-country mission called Operation Inspiration.
The goal of the mission is to lift Canadians’ spirits and pay tribute to frontline workers during COVID-19.
The Snowbirds flew over Saskatoon on May 14.
The Saskatoon Police Service offered its sympathies on Twitter, saying “While they were on a mission to honour Canadians, we now honour them.”
The Saskatoon International Airport hosted the Snowbirds while they were in town.
“Our hearts are broken by this devastating news. We offer our sincere condolences to the pilots, support staff, and their families,” it said in a tweet.
Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili took to Twitter to acknowledge the amount of joy the flyover brought to people in Saskatoon.
“Such a powerful symbol of Saskatchewan and Canada. Such an awful loss,” he tweeted.
Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie released a statement Monday saying he is deeply saddened by the news of Casey's passing.
"The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are an integral part of our community, and we send our deepest condolences to the Casey family and to the entire Snowbirds team."
Tolmie also said he wishes MacDougall a speedy recovery and that his thoughts are with the Royal Canadian Air Force and 15 Wing Moose Jaw family during this time.
A number of Saskatchewan residents also took to Twitter expressing their sadness over the news.
One saying, “I sit here just stunned by the news of the CF Snowbirds crash. They flew over Saskatoon earlier this week and brightened up my day.”
"Because they are so good at what they do, we sometimes forget that they take risks each time they fly. I won't ever forget that again," another tweeted.
