Long before the trade tariffs, barriers and diplomatic tensions between the US and Canada, there was a time when thousands of Americans found unexpected refuge in a tiny Canadian town after 9/11. On September 11, 2001, residents of a small Canadian town thousands of miles from New York suddenly found themselves caring for thousands of strangers caught up in an unprecedented crisis. When the United States closed its airspace following the terrorist attacks, 38 passenger planes crossing the Atlantic were diverted to Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador. The town, with a population of fewer than 10,000 people, suddenly had to accommodate around 7,000 passengers and crew.
Schools, churches, community centres and homes became temporary shelters, while residents supplied food, clothing and other essentials. What began as an emergency quickly became an extraordinary display of hospitality, with ordinary people opening their doors to frightened travellers who had no idea when they would be able to continue their journeys.
On September 11, however, its historic role suddenly returned in dramatic fashion. As flights were diverted from US airspace, 38 aircraft landed at Gander International Airport, bringing thousands of passengers into a community that had never expected to accommodate so many people at once. Located on the northeastern island of Newfoundland, the town had once been a major refuelling point for aircraft crossing the North Atlantic. Its airport was among the world’s most important aviation hubs before advances in aircraft technology made longer non-stop flights possible.
The scale of the challenge was enormous. Gander and nearby communities had to find places for thousands of passengers while aircraft remained grounded and travellers waited for information. Residents responded by transforming everyday spaces into temporary shelters. Schools, churches and public buildings were opened, while people brought food, clothing, toiletries and other necessities. Some locals invited complete strangers into their homes. The response was not limited to organised emergency services. Shopkeepers, teachers, cooks, hotel workers, students and ordinary families all found ways to help people who had suddenly been separated from their normal journeys and, in many cases, from their families. The shift may be particularly significant among younger Canadians who have grown up with a very different image of the United States. Older Canadians often remember decades of close cultural, economic and personal connections with their southern neighbour, including frequent travel across the border and a strong influence from American television and popular culture. Younger Canadians have increasingly encountered the United States through a period of political polarisation and disputes over issues ranging from trade to reproductive rights. For them, the America remembered fondly by older generations may be more distant and less familiar.
