Canadians reflect on 9/11 connections
Several ceremonies in Ottawa and Gander, N.L., mark 15th anniversary of attacks
GANDER, N.L.— Motorcycle engines rumbled on the tarmac of a Newfoundland and Labrador airport Sunday as Canadians and Americans gathered to reflect on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and this small town’s unexpected connection to it.
A group of motorcycles and emergency vehicles provided an escort for a piece of steel beam from the south tower of the World Trade Center that was presented at a ceremony at the Gander International Airport. Many passenger flights had been diverted to the Newfoundland airport after U.S. airspace was closed in the wake of the attacks on New York and Washington. The one-metre-by-one-metre beam was loaded onto a trailer in New York City this week to make the 2,400-kilometre journey to New- foundland, escorted by current and former firefighters on motorcycles.
The beam was a thank you gift from the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named for a New York firefighter killed while helping to rescue people from the towers.
Nearly 7,000 passengers were stranded for three days in Gander when all flights were grounded. The people of Gander provided food, lodging and other assistance, forming long-lasting relationships with the “plane people,” as they became known.
“It is something very, very special to see two countries gather together in this community so powerfully for something so profoundly important,” Scott Maxwell, executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada, said after the ceremony.
“There was a lot of celebration about what good can come out of something so horrific and how in the face of evil, the good of humanity can shine stronger . . . not only during the incident, but long term. ”
The event was one of several taking place in Gander and surrounding communities Sunday to remember the tragedy.
Thousands packed the town’s community centre for an ecumenical service, including U.S. Consul General Steven Giegerich and the province’s Premier Dwight Ball.
“There was just as much celebration as there was remembrance and reflection,” Maxwell said.
In Ottawa, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale reflected on 9/11 when he spoke at the Canadian Fire- fighters Memorial.
“That day is etched in blood and terror, but from that brutality rose a legacy of heroes,” Goodale said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement saying Canada joins with the families and friends of the victims to remember those who died, including 24 Canadians.
“We also offer our heartfelt support to those still struggling with the physical and emotional injuries they sustained on 9/11,” Trudeau said in the statement.