A DAY THE WORLD CAME TO GANDER; NTV to provide live coverage from 1:30-4 p.m. today to mark 25th anniversary of 9/11 tragedy

News September 11th, 2026

Twenty-five years later, the story of how a small Newfoundland town opened its doors to thousands of strangers remains one of the most powerful stories of kindness to emerge from the tragedy of 9/11.

On an ordinary September morning 25 years ago, hundreds of airplanes were crossing the North Atlantic. They were carrying thousands of people home, heading toward destinations across the United States and Canada. For most of those passengers, Sept. 11 2001, had begun like any other day of travel. Then the world changed.

As hijacked aircraft slammed into the World Trade Center in New York City and another crashed into the Pentagon, the United States closed its airspace. Suddenly, the skies over North America were emptying. There were hundreds of aircraft already in the air over the western North Atlantic, carrying over 80,000 people. Planes were entering Canadian airspace roughly every 90 seconds.

Pilots needed somewhere to land and one of the places they were sent was Gander. Thirty-eight aircraft touched down at Gander International Airport that day, carrying over 6,000 passengers – almost enough people to double the population of the small central Newfoundland community.

For the people on those planes, Gander was a place they had never heard of. For the people of Gander, they were strangers who suddenly needed somewhere to sleep, something to eat, a telephone to call home and, perhaps most importantly, someone to tell them they were safe. The town responded without hesitation. There was no advance warning and, of course, no opportunity to prepare.

Gander declared a state of emergency. Schools and churches became temporary shelters. Community centres filled with cots. Businesses donated supplies. Restaurants and grocery stores opened their doors. Residents gathered clothing and toiletries. Volunteers cooked meals and drove strangers around town. People who had never met one another suddenly found themselves caring for one another. And in the middle of a terrifying global crisis, something remarkable happened. Fear began to give way to trust.

The people of Gander, and all over this province, opened their homes and hearts to those scared passangers. Those ‘come from aways’ or ‘plane people’ had found a home away from home in this province.

The generosity extended well beyond Gander. Communities across Newfoundland and Labrador opened their doors to stranded travellers as planes were diverted throughout the province. Hotels, schools, churches and homes became places of refuge.

But Gander’s story became something different. Its population had nearly doubled overnight and, incredibly, the entire community found a way to care for everyone. Yes, there were language barriers and cultural differences. There was also confusion and fear. But it didn’t matter. Residents made sure there was food, music and comfort.

And when the passengers were finally able to leave, many took something with them that could not be packed into their luggage, a profound connection to the people who had helped them through the darkest and most uncertain days of their lives.

Twenty-five years later, those connections remain. The story of Gander became known around the world, eventually inspiring the internationally acclaimed musical Come From Away. The production transformed the events of 9/11 into a story about humanity in the face of unimaginable circumstances, a story about a small town that welcomed the world when the world had nowhere else to go.

After a successful pre-Broadway run, Come From Away opened on Broadway in March 2017. It became a critical and commercial success, earning seven Tony Award nominations and winning for Best Direction of a Musical. NTV’s Amanda Mews and Colleen Lewis, who both covered the musical and the incredible that created and inspired it, are both in Gander today for the commeorative service.

For the people of Gander, the story has never simply been a musical. It is personal. It is a reminder of a time when the world was frightened and a small Newfoundland community responded with something remarkably simple – kindness.

Today, 25 years later, Gander is preparing to mark that extraordinary chapter in its history. A special 25th anniversary commemoration service is set from 2-4 p.m. at the Steele Community Centre. The ceremony, which will feature music, personal reflections and remarks from special guests, will be aired live beginning at 1:30 p.m. on NTV.

It will be a day to remember the lives lost on September 11.

But it will also be a day to remember what happened thousands of kilometres away from New York — in a small Newfoundland town where thousands of frightened passengers stepped off airplanes and discovered that, even in the middle of tragedy, there was still room for compassion.

They arrived as strangers.

They left as friends.

And 25 years later, the world still remembers the little town that welcomed them home.