Gander Remembers the Day Canada Welcomed Thousands of Stranded Travelers

Events in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, are marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks forced hundreds of aircraft to divert to Canada.

When the United States closed its airspace on September 11, 2001, roughly 500 planes carrying an estimated 85,000 people were over the western North Atlantic.

Canadian authorities instructed about 270 aircraft to return to Europe. More than 230 others needed to land quickly, with many directed to large former military airports across Atlantic Canada.

Thirty-eight planes landed in Gander. The town’s population of about 9,000 nearly doubled as residents cared for approximately 6,500 stranded passengers for several days.

People opened schools, community centres and homes. Volunteers prepared meals, collected clothing and helped travellers contact their families.

Former federal transport minister David Collenette is among those participating in anniversary events. He said officials had only minutes to make decisions that would safely bring the aircraft down.

Commemorations are also being held elsewhere in Canada to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks and recognize the communities that helped stranded travellers.