Remembering 9/11 in Canada and Ottawa
Ten years ago this Sunday, a nightmare of terror-driven destruction was unleashed on the U.S. The impact of what we’ve come to call “9/11” was undoubtedly felt around the world.
At least twenty-four Canadians died in the attacks. NAV Canada helped with the tremendous upheaval in North American air traffic that day. 239 planes carrying thousands of passengers were diverted to Canadian cities to clear the skies. Canada did not participate in the Iraq war, but went early to Afghanistan and did some heavy lifting there. So, understandably, the upcoming anniversary of 9/11 is being observed across Canada in many ways.
The US ambassador to Canada, David Jacboson, will be in Gander, Newfoundland on Sunday to thank residents for their amazing compassion. Halifax actually took in the most diverted flights (47). Vancouver received the most diverted passengers (8,500). But Gander is a small, remote town of about 10,000 people. Somehow, the area managed to absorb 38 planes and care for 6,600 passengers – for days – until air travel could resume once more.
Back in Ottawa, the US embassy has opened an outdoor photo exhibit to commemorate the public response to 9/11 Ambassador Jacobson reflects on that here.
Like their U.S. counterparts, many Canadian news outlets are featuring extensive (exhaustive?) special coverage, including these interviews with people from different walks of life who were affected by the events of that day. (Click for various 9/11 coverage from the Ottawa Citizen, the CBC, CTV, Global, the National Post, the Globe and Mail and Gander’s The Beacon. )
The National Arts Centre in Ottawa will present a free, open-air “Hope and Remembrance” concert Sunday morning on their outdoor terrace at 8:46 am, when the first plane struck. A number of the musicians are from the U.S., including some from New York City, enhancing the sense of musical connection.
If you know of 9/11 remembrances in Canada that I have missed, please add them in the comments section.
Is the 9/11 media coverage useful? Excessive?
Linking the whole topic to our readers and our region: what effect did 9/11 have on U.S.-Canada relations? How did it change border security, then and now?
As always, your thoughts are welcome.
Tags: 911, canada, David Jacobson, Gander, National Arts Centre, NAV Canada, US-Canada border
Listen tomorrow during NCPR regional news for more on the evolution of border security and cross-border relations since 9-11.
Our news department has reported — exhaustively — on these changes over the last 10 years. We’ll hear bits of some of those reports and bring the story up to the present.
What we are all forgetting this 9/11 of 2011 is that CANADA is being annexed to the USA & Mexico on the “security” pretext of 9/11: PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS & MEMBERS TO JOIN THE CANADIAN BOYCOTT! STARTS TODAY! Official nation-wide boycott of stores, companies & products owned by members of the CANADIAN COUNCIL OF CHIEF EXECUTIVES (CCCE) for the 9/11-related annexation of Canada into the North American Union. http://tinyurl.com/3vymj3s