Golden Centennaires Tutor Jet Display

Share Golden Centennaires Tutor Jet Display on Facebook Share Golden Centennaires Tutor Jet Display on Twitter Share Golden Centennaires Tutor Jet Display on Linkedin Email Golden Centennaires Tutor Jet Display link

Consultation has concluded

1967 marked the 100th anniversary of the creation of Canada as a nation. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Canadian Air Force set up an aerobatic team, which was to perform at 100 air demonstrations across the country. The team was known as the “Golden Centennaires” and primarily flew a formation of eight gold and blue CT-114 Tutor jets. Although the Golden Centennaires were disbanded after doing 121 shows in North America (including the Bahamas for two shows), they are regarded as being the precursor of today’s Canadian Forces Snowbirds display team, who have now been captivating North American audiences for almost 50 years!

Did you know that the Creston Valley has a local connection to the Golden Centennaires? Clarence “CB” Lang was the Squadron Leader of the Golden Centennaires Canadair CL-41 Tutor jet performance team. CB Lang was raised in Lister, and he and the Golden Centennaires did an aerial demonstration performance over the Creston Valley on July 14, 1967. Can you imagine the excitement he must have felt being able to lead such a demonstration in front of a hometown audience? Mayor Ron Toyota was one such lucky individual to have seen that Golden Centennaires show in the Creston Valley, and as a former pilot himself, it is an incredible memory that he won’t ever forget.

As a tribute to CB Lang, John Huscroft of Creston organized and acquired a Tutor jet (serial number 114187) in 2010. He arranged to have this Tutor jet re-painted in the original 1967 Golden Centennaires livery. It has been a personal goal and dream of John’s to have this Tutor Jet displayed in the Town of Creston. In the fall of 2021, he made a formal request to the Town of Creston to accommodate this memorial display in a suitable location within the Town. The display is quite large - it is approximately 32 ft. in height, 36 ft. in width, with a 60 ft.2 base. Based on the size of the display, there was only a couple of suitable locations within the Town. After careful consideration, it was determined that the best location (for now) for this Tutor Jet display is in the north parking lot of our Millennium Park, adjacent to the trail that runs along the west side, next to the College of the Rockies. It will be an amazing visual addition to our downtown core, and will most definitely be another point of interest, showcasing Creston’s connection to the Golden Centennaires. There is only one other Golden Centennaire Tutor jet on display, and that is at the Southport airport in Manitoba where they trained for the 1967 programs.

Those of you who knew John Huscroft know that he worked tirelessly with quiet determination, driven to succeed in whatever he chose to do. Unfortunately, John passed away on February 20, 2022 before he could see the result of his incredible efforts to establish this memorial to CB Lang and the Golden Centennaires. Mayor Ron Toyota has taken this project on as a personal tribute to his friend “Johnny” who has always been so devoted in service to the Creston Valley and its citizens.

John’s Tutor jet is currently being stored in Campbellford, Ontario. It is estimated that it will cost approximately $48,000 to complete the installation. The Town of Creston has committed to facilitating the donation process to this legacy project of John Huscroft for the Huscroft family.

On behalf of Mayor Toyota and the Huscroft family, thank you for any donation to make this dream of John Huscroft’s a reality by the summer of 2022. Your support is so appreciated!  

Clarence “CB” Lang is pictured on the far left with his team.



Creston's jet is now displayed in the North parking lot of Millennium Park




1967 marked the 100th anniversary of the creation of Canada as a nation. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Canadian Air Force set up an aerobatic team, which was to perform at 100 air demonstrations across the country. The team was known as the “Golden Centennaires” and primarily flew a formation of eight gold and blue CT-114 Tutor jets. Although the Golden Centennaires were disbanded after doing 121 shows in North America (including the Bahamas for two shows), they are regarded as being the precursor of today’s Canadian Forces Snowbirds display team, who have now been captivating North American audiences for almost 50 years!

Did you know that the Creston Valley has a local connection to the Golden Centennaires? Clarence “CB” Lang was the Squadron Leader of the Golden Centennaires Canadair CL-41 Tutor jet performance team. CB Lang was raised in Lister, and he and the Golden Centennaires did an aerial demonstration performance over the Creston Valley on July 14, 1967. Can you imagine the excitement he must have felt being able to lead such a demonstration in front of a hometown audience? Mayor Ron Toyota was one such lucky individual to have seen that Golden Centennaires show in the Creston Valley, and as a former pilot himself, it is an incredible memory that he won’t ever forget.

As a tribute to CB Lang, John Huscroft of Creston organized and acquired a Tutor jet (serial number 114187) in 2010. He arranged to have this Tutor jet re-painted in the original 1967 Golden Centennaires livery. It has been a personal goal and dream of John’s to have this Tutor Jet displayed in the Town of Creston. In the fall of 2021, he made a formal request to the Town of Creston to accommodate this memorial display in a suitable location within the Town. The display is quite large - it is approximately 32 ft. in height, 36 ft. in width, with a 60 ft.2 base. Based on the size of the display, there was only a couple of suitable locations within the Town. After careful consideration, it was determined that the best location (for now) for this Tutor Jet display is in the north parking lot of our Millennium Park, adjacent to the trail that runs along the west side, next to the College of the Rockies. It will be an amazing visual addition to our downtown core, and will most definitely be another point of interest, showcasing Creston’s connection to the Golden Centennaires. There is only one other Golden Centennaire Tutor jet on display, and that is at the Southport airport in Manitoba where they trained for the 1967 programs.

Those of you who knew John Huscroft know that he worked tirelessly with quiet determination, driven to succeed in whatever he chose to do. Unfortunately, John passed away on February 20, 2022 before he could see the result of his incredible efforts to establish this memorial to CB Lang and the Golden Centennaires. Mayor Ron Toyota has taken this project on as a personal tribute to his friend “Johnny” who has always been so devoted in service to the Creston Valley and its citizens.

John’s Tutor jet is currently being stored in Campbellford, Ontario. It is estimated that it will cost approximately $48,000 to complete the installation. The Town of Creston has committed to facilitating the donation process to this legacy project of John Huscroft for the Huscroft family.

On behalf of Mayor Toyota and the Huscroft family, thank you for any donation to make this dream of John Huscroft’s a reality by the summer of 2022. Your support is so appreciated!  

Clarence “CB” Lang is pictured on the far left with his team.



Creston's jet is now displayed in the North parking lot of Millennium Park




Consultation has concluded

  • Please join us!

    Share Please join us! on Facebook Share Please join us! on Twitter Share Please join us! on Linkedin Email Please join us! link
    supporting image
    Town of Creston is pleased to announce the dedication of a Canadair CT-114 Tutor Jet at
    Millennium Park, 215 16th Ave S, Creston
    1145, Tuesday, 26 July 2022

    Sporting the iconic Golden Centennaire's commemorative colours of Canada's 100th birthday in 1967 as flown by former Creston resident Squadron Leader Lieutenant-Colonel Clarence "C.B." Lang, RCAF, Team Leader, Canadian Armed Forces Golden Centennaires.

    A special honourary 'Flyover'
    by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds
    1230, Tuesday, 26 July 2022

    It was through the late ‘Johnny’ Huscroft’s tireless efforts and passionate dedication that this aircraft was purchased. His vision was 'seen through to completion' by his many friends and family.

  • Breaking Ground!

    Share Breaking Ground! on Facebook Share Breaking Ground! on Twitter Share Breaking Ground! on Linkedin Email Breaking Ground! link
    supporting image

    The Tutor Jet has arrived in Creston, and the land is being prepped. If all goes well, the Tutor Jet will be mounted by July 26th, just in time for the Snowbirds to do their fly-by over Creston.

  • The Snowbirds are coming to Creston!

    Share The Snowbirds are coming to Creston! on Facebook Share The Snowbirds are coming to Creston! on Twitter Share The Snowbirds are coming to Creston! on Linkedin Email The Snowbirds are coming to Creston! link

    The Canadian Snowbirds have announced that they will be doing a fly-past over Creston on July 26, 2022. The Snowbirds will be flying over in commemoration of CB Lang and John Huscroft.

    The military aerobatics team of the Royal Canadian Air Force will also be visiting few Canadian cities this summer for airshows. You can view their schedule HERE.

    The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, 431 Air Demonstration Squadron are a Canadian icon comprised of Canadian Armed Forces members and National Defence Public Service employees. The team is based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Snowbirds’ official purpose is to “demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel”. The show team flies 11 CT-114 Tutors: nine for aerobatic performances, including two solo aircraft, and two spares, flown by the team coordinators. Additionally, 13 are maintained in storage. Although 431 Air Demonstration Squadron was formed in 1978, its history began during the Second World War when, as part of the Commonwealth contribution to aircrew for the war in Europe, 431 (Iroquois) Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force was created under the control of RAF Bomber Command.


    Photo: Canadian Forces Snowbirds


  • John Huscroft's Celebration of Life

    Share John Huscroft's Celebration of Life on Facebook Share John Huscroft's Celebration of Life on Twitter Share John Huscroft's Celebration of Life on Linkedin Email John Huscroft's Celebration of Life link

    Mayor Ron Toyota was asked to speak at John's Celebration of Life. Below is his speech:

    "On behalf of myself and my wife Judy, Town of Creston Council and staff, I would like to express our deepest condolences to Carol, Nicole, Traven, Jenn and your families for your loss. I know that it’s difficult to quantify the impact that Johnny has made on so many of us, but looking around this room today, it is clear that it is greater than any of us could have realized.

    On January 31st, Johnny and I had lunch at the Kokanee Inn and we discussed our upcoming retirement plans. Johnny said he wanted to be done in 4 years time, and then he and Carol could travel. He mentioned that Carol liked Hawaii and I encouraged him to get tickets and fly there in early February and spend a few weeks with Casey Messinger. I am saddened that this did not happen.

    We have been friends for many, many years. We watched each other’s families grow, we watched them grow up and have families of their own. Johnny was so incredibly proud of his family and the wonderful people that they are. As tirelessly as he worked for his family, he worked just as hard in service to the Creston Valley, volunteering countless hours with the Creston Valley Rotary club, the Creston Valley Blossom Festival committee and numerous others. Every year, the Rotary Club names a “Citizen of the Year” and they tried for years to bestow that honour on Johnny … but he always caught wind of it and shut it down. However, thanks to the determination of his family and the fact that COVID didn’t allow for in person meetings, last year they were able to name him as 2020 Citizen of the Year without him knowing about it beforehand! It was certainly a victory and so well-deserved. In typical Johnny fashion, he came to Town Hall for a photo and presentation with me, but was he not happy about being in the spotlight. He wasn’t comfortable talking about his accomplishments, and always felt that there was someone more deserving than he was. That was Johnny.

    We were both pilots, and spent many, many hours talking about our love of flying. As some of you may be aware, it was a dream of John’s to establish a monument to the Golden Centennaires who were the precursor aerobatic flying team to the Snowbirds. He started this quest in 2009, purchasing a Tutor Jet in 2010, and has since had it repainted in the original 1967 Golden Centennaires livery. He made a presentation to Council just over a year ago to explore options for an appropriate location to display the aircraft that will be mounted on a 60 sq. ft. base, and measures 32 ft. high by 36 ft. wide. Council approved a temporary location for the jet in the north parking lot of Millennium Park, adjacent to the trail that runs on the west side, next to the College of the Rockies, and John accepted this offer this past December. Those of you who know Johnny know that he was persistent to a fault …he always knew that he was going to succeed in whatever he set his mind to. Establishing this memorial to CB Lang and the Golden Centennaires was so important to Johnny and it is my honour to see this project through to completion for him, the Huscroft family and for the Town of Creston.

    After many many hours of calls, emails, discussions with many very willing and energetic people, I am pleased to announce that our plans and schedule are to have the CB Tutor Lang memorial in place by July 2022.

    The estimated total cost of this project is $110,000 of which Johnny had raised and personally provided almost two thirds of the funds. Approximately $48,000 more is needed in order to complete this project which involves transporting the aircraft from Campbellford, Ontario and installation. I am currently in discussions with several organizations that Johnny was involved with to request financial contributions. Anyone wishing to donate to this project in his memory can do so and can receive a tax receipt from the Town of Creston if required. For more information, go to the Town of Creston’s Let’s Talk Creston webpage – letstalk.creston.ca – and click on the Golden Centennaires Tutor Jet Display project.

    Johnny had many, many friends and associates from all across this country, and I’m going to let you in on a surprise that is planned for approximately four months from now. I am so pleased to announce that we have recently received confirmation that the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds Demonstration team will be doing a “Flyby” over Creston on Tuesday, July 26, 2022! This will be a GREAT tribute to Johnny and I only wish that it was happening with him being here so that we could watch it together in person. I guess that we’ll all just have to settle for him knowing that he will be watching from above and flying alongside instead.

    Rest in peace, my friend. Until we meet again.

    Ron Toyota

    April 2, 2022