Snow Bird crash at The Canadian International Air Show 1989

Monday September 4, 1989

Roberts was one of two public affairs officers who responded to media calls from across the country after two Canadian Forces aircraft collided and crashed during the Canadian International Air Show (CIAS) at the CNE. Immediately after he heard about the crash, Roberts called the officer in charge of the DNDPA -Toronto office. This officer had been an instructor on the Base Information Officers Course that Roberts had taken the year before. Because of the high profile and the nature of this accident, and because it took place in front of an estimated 200,000 spectators, it was recognized that a news conference would have to be held after the immediate relatives of the pilots had been notified. The news conference would be the official announcement of a fatality, and that a Board of Inquiry would be convened. Initially a decision was made to hold the news conference in the Constellation Hotel, headquarters for the CIAS. The Constellation Hotel was also the same location were all the participating teams were staying. Immediately after the crash, the Metropolitan Toronto Police placed a cordon around the hotel to intercept any media before they could enter the building. Inside the hotel, security checked people again to ensure they were bona-fide guests.

In a discussion, Capt. Roberts convinced the senior public affairs officer that holding the news conference in the hotel could lead to a confrontation between media in search of a story angle. Having been on the floors above the CIAS's offices, where the British, Canadian and US teams had their rooms, he knew of the tremendous tension and strain on members of Snowbird team, as they came to terms with the death of Captain Shane Antaya. Outsiders were not tolerated, and that even the tan uniform of a Canadian army officer was not particularly welcome. Any reporter foolish enough to try to conduct an interview would definitely be in harms way.

When asked for a recommendation as to where to hold the news conference, Roberts suggested the Officer's Mess at CFB Toronto. The accident was an Air Force one, and the base was still Air Force at the time. Holding the news conference on the base meant the media had to pass through the Military Police to get in. Once on the Canadian Forces base, "our turf"', we would have a moral control over the agenda. Another critical factor was the distance between the hotel and the base. Reporters would not be time to cover the news conference to come to the hotel for a reaction interview, and or a stand-up, and still meet their broadcast time. (This was before the days of satellite trucks, microwave systems and live eyes etc.) The recommendations were accepted. Roberts volunteered to stay at the Constellation Hotel, the firm base, to contact the media and vector them to the Officer's Mess at CFB Toronto.

That fall the Snowbirds sent him a certificate of appreciation.

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