The City of Delta quietly announced Monday that the Boundary Bay Airshow will not be going ahead this summer.
Only three sentences long, the announcement came at the end of a Feb. 23 press release touting a trio of new “marquee events and community celebrations” aimed at “amping up” the city’s events calendar.
“Unfortunately, the Boundary Bay Airshow will not be returning in 2026. Delta is grateful to Alpha Aviation for the years of partnership in hosting the airshow, which over nearly two decades has become a beloved summer event for the entire region. We are thankful for our continued relationship with Alpha Aviation, including their president Melissa Sayers and founder Fred Kaiser, and we look forward to working with them to identify opportunities for future collaboration,” the release states.
It did not provide anything by way of explanation for why the popular summer event is not proceeding as usual this year.
The Reporter reached out to the city and Alpha Aviation for more information, but did not hear back prior to the paper’s print deadline.
Just over two months ago, at its last regular meeting of 2025, Delta council received a presentation from staff outlining major events planned for 2026 as well as a “refreshed and expanded approach to city events that enhances the overall experience for residents.”
At the time, the city anticipated again co-hosting the Boundary Bay Airshow in partnership with Alpha Aviation. Staff noted the company was expected to submit their request to put on the event sometime in the early part of this year, which would then be subject to council approval.
Staff’s presentation to council at the time noted the event has remained largely unchanged over the past decade, aside from occasional one-time premier acts like 2025 headliners the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
In a post to X.com Tuesday morning (Feb. 24), Mayor George Harvie said staff had told council that no changes were proposed for the airshow in 2026, but alleged that “council changed that while I was away.” The mayor did not specify what changes had been made.
“I’m very disappointed. It’s an iconic special event and I hope in future years we can bring it back,” Harvie wrote.
Coun. Dylan Kruger called Harvie’s statement “patently false” in a response also posted to X.
“Council made no changes to the proposed 2026 Boundary Bay Airshow during the mayor’s absence. Suggesting otherwise misrepresents the facts and misleads the public. Residents deserve accuracy and accountability from their elected officials,” Kruger wrote.
Harvie deleted the post later that day.
Under its co-hosting agreement with Alpha Aviation, the city provided both funding and organizational support, to the tune of $315,000 in expenses for 2025 (included funding to host the Snowbirds) plus an additional $25,000 for policing — about half of the total funding spent on city events that year.
The 2026 airshow was anticipated to follow a similar financial and operating model, however city staff said in December they were exploring “alternative participation models” with Alpha Aviation for 2027, including the possibility of participating as a presenting sponsor rather than a co-host.