November 3, 2026: For nearly 25 years, the City of Toronto has invited the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA) to support its Remembrance Day ceremonies from the air.
Each year, three or four of CHAA’s Second World War–era Harvard aircraft depart from Tillsonburg, Ont., and fly in formation over the city, their distinctive roar serving as a tribute to, and in honour of those who served and sacrificed.
Scheduled flypasts: (subject to change based on weather and aircraft maintenance)
- Flypast over Burlington Cenotaph – 10:45 a.m.
- Flypast over Toronto Old City Hall Cenotaph – 11:05 a.m.
- Flypast over East York Civic Centre Memorial Gardens – approximately 11:10 a.m.
- Flypast over Sunnybrook Veterans Centre – approximately 11:20 a.m.
- Flypast over York Cemetery Cenotaph – approximately 11:30 a.m.
*The plan is for a four-plane formation flight, but three planes may end up taking to the skies.
During their flight, they will perform the Missing Man Formation over each ceremony, an aerial salute to honour those we lost.
One of the pilots, Allan Paige, is a Toronto resident and has been participating in the flypast for several years.
“Flying the Harvards over Toronto on Remembrance Day is one of the most meaningful flights I do each year,” said Paige. “These aircraft hold such significant history, and it’s a privilege to honour those who served by keeping them in the air.”
Harvard aircraft played a pivotal role in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. It was the primary advanced, single-engine aircraft used to train more than 130,000 aircrew under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Canada. With its distinctive roar, the Harvard was a familiar sight and sound at many of the more than 200 BCATP training sites across Canada.
This press release was prepared and distributed by the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.
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