KENTVILLE, NS – After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force for two decades, Mayor Sandra Snow has been appointed an honorary colonel.
Since 1970, more than 225 distinguished Canadians have served the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) through the honorary colonel program. Honorary colonels act as advisors to unit commanders and become key members within the air force environment. They may be former air force officers or distinguished Canadian citizens hailing from a diverse range of backgrounds, including many well-known public and community figures.
Snow has been appointed Honorary Colonel of 415 Maritime Patrol Force Development Squadron at 14 Wing Greenwood. An investiture ceremony will be held on June 22 at 14 Wing Greenwood’s VPI Centre.
Through her air force career, Snow was employed as an aircraft technician on the hangar line; a laboratory technician supporting equipment repair, an instructor of both basic and aircraft specific maintenance and in many supervisory roles. She retired in 1999 as an avionics superintendent, at the rank of Master Warrant Officer.
After her retirement from the air force, Snow worked for an engineering firm and was subsequently contracted to the Department of Defence as an operational test and evaluation suitability project officer supporting the CP140 Aurora aircraft.
In 2014, Snow was awarded the Northern Lights Aero Foundation Elsie MacGill Award for her contributions to aviation and aerospace in government disciplines. Her career path allowed her to support the CP140 Aurora air craft in some capacity for 35 years. After the completion of her contract, Snow entered municipal politics and was elected mayor of Kentville in 2016.
There are some 70 honorary colonel appointments throughout the RCAF at any given time. Some currently appointed air force honorary colonels include singer-songwriter Sam Reid, businessman Roger Demers and radio broadcaster and author J’lyn Nye.
Honorary colonels work behind the scenes and provide a much needed connection between the community and the Canadian forces. They are considered vital to fostering esprit de corps. They mentor and help build relationships with other units through the honorary colonel network and help build and develop community support for their units.
