From Ski-Doos to Sea-Doos to CSeries: A timeline of aerospace company Bombardier

A new exhibit at the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Museum in Valcourt, Que. looks at the evolution of the snowmobile over the past half-century. The exhibit marks the 50th anniversary of the Ski-Doo, the vehicle that inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier unveiled in 1959. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

MIRABEL — Bombardier marked a major milestone in the development of its CSeries passenger jet program Wednesday as Swiss International Air Lines became the first carrier to formally accept delivery of the plane.

Here’s a timeline that charts Bombardier’s growth from a small snowmobile business to Canada’s largest aerospace manufacturer:

1937: Joseph-Armand Bombardier launches the seven-passenger B7 snowmobile.

1942: Bombardier founds L’Auto-Niege Bombardier Limitee to manufacture the 12-passenger B12 snowmobile.

1959: The world-famous Ski-Doo is launched.

1966: Laurent Beaudoin, Bombardier’s son-in-law, becomes the company’s president.

1969: The company goes public with listings on the Montreal and Toronto Stock Exchanges.

1970: Bombardier buys Lohnerwerke, a manufacturer of motor scooters and trams in Vienna, Austria. The acquisition is Bombardier’s first outside Canada and marks its first foray into the railway business.

1974: The company lands a deal to manufacture 423 subway cars for Montreal, its first mass transit contract.

1986: Bombardier takes to the skies, buying Canadair, maker of the Challenger business jets.

1988: Sea-Doo watercraft are launched.

1999: Robert Brown named president and CEO, succeeding Beaudoin, who becomes executive chairman of the board and executive committee.

2003: Bombardier sells its recreational products division for $960 million to a group of investors consisting of U.S. investment firm Bain Capital, the Caisse de depot pension fund and members of the Bombardier family.

2008: CSeries program is launched. German airline Lufthansa signs a letter of interest for up to 60 aircraft.

2010: Concerns begin to crop up over delays with the CSeries jets.

2013: Maiden test flight for CSeries aircraft.

Feb. 12, 2015: Laurent Beaudoin’s son, Pierre, steps down as CEO, handing over the reins to Alain Bellemare as Bombardier copes with mounting cost overruns for the CSeries.

Oct. 29, 2015: Quebec announces US$1 billion in support for Bombardier.

Jan. 27, 2016: Shares in Bombardier close below US$1 on the TSX for the first time in 25 years.

Feb. 17, 2016: Bombardier says it is eliminating 7,000 positions, one of the deepest rounds of job cuts in the company’s history. But it also announces a deal with Air Canada that will see the airline buy at least 45 CSeries 300 planes.

April 28, 2016: Bombardier announces deal with Delta Air Lines that could see the Atlanta-based company buy up to 125 CSeries jets. The sale would be the largest for the CSeries program.

June 29, 2016: Swiss International Air Lines formally accepts the first CSeries aircraft.

The Canadian Press