Saint John residents heard and viewed helicopters overhead on Sunday.
The helicopter flyovers were part of the Freedom of the City ceremony, which was held beside King’s Square near Old City Hall.
The Freedom of the City is the highest honour presented by the city and is granted to a military entity that has a long-standing relationship with the municipality.
It was awarded to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron.
“Your history with the City of Saint John began when the squadron was moved to Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, and since then you’ve opened your doors to support local military cadet units, and many many veteran organizations. You have always supported commemorative ceremonies in Saint John and around the province, often with personnel and aircraft,” mentioned Mayor Donna Reardon during the ceremony.
In 2021, the 403 squadron marked the 80th anniversary of its formation, and for the past 50 years has been stationed at Base Gagetown.
Some of the battle honours for the squadron include Defence of Britain (1941-1944), Fortress Europe (1941-1944), Normandy, and Afghanistan.
The ceremony included two helicopter flyovers, a marching parade around King’s Square, the signing of the freedom certificate, and a general salute.
A ceremony of the Freedom of the City was held today. It was awarded to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron. pic.twitter.com/FpU4A2y60Q
— Tim Herd (@timherdradio) June 12, 2022
