North Atlantic Ocean here finds a sleepy hearty town 20 years ago.
The 20th anniversary of the attack on September 11 is understood to be a time of great tribulation as the world remembers the act of evil that is hard.
To believe but for others, and it is an opportunity to do so
celebrate humanity and humanity in the tragedy of the day that saw the rain in the United States sky closed and a small town in the far northeastern part of Canada.
Suddenly found itself a passenger airport that had been ordered to land as soon as 7,000 people who had nowhere else to go wandering.
The rugged and distant Canadian island of Newfoundland is as small as the far east as it is possible to reach the North American continent is the last frontier before the North Atlantic Ocean here finds a sleepy hearty town 20 years ago.
This quirky community became an unexpected hero. of great evil we saw the pouring out of incredible humanity we are truly lucky and we can stay five or six days with you for the rest of your life yes.
It all started on that unforgettable day of September when it was realized that hijacked passenger planes were being used as weapons of mass destruction we shut down the planes.
We are not allowing air traffic controllers to seek to fill a void in the world for the first time in history more than 4,000 aircraft were ordered to turn or land immediately.
It is possible that Atlantic International Airlines flights did not return hundreds of repatriates to Canada including a combined 929 joint aircraft with Australians Ian and Julia Campbell on board and saw the plane land and the captain finally arrived again.
Told everyone there had been an incident in the united states and we were diverted to Gander Newfoundland where large airplanes roaring across the gander-lane routes to the western world airport had previously been the world's largest joint venture.
During World War II and a major test site in 2001. during the unusual three hours, the planes kept arriving at our destination.
Except where I will never forget that people were standing on the trunks of their cars taking pictures is when we saw that you know that something very serious is happening on 38 planes with 7,000 passengers lined up in quick succession.
To locals arriving at the airport in large numbers was unforgettable all the planes treated like a bomb so they had to stay in the evening he saw that hey those people are not going anywhere soon with the influx o unexpected visitors in a few short hours.
The gander people almost doubled up and challenged the then-herculean mayor Claude Elliot to be the mayor you are the mayor of the city right then yeah shawty a lot of dealing with it you know you were pulling.
your hair out of this section how am I meant to feed these people how are these people looking at these people I had b to do and I didn't worry.
That people do not care for I knew that people in my community will take care of everything that Julia and Ian's Boeing triple 7 who were 22 planes to get to gander will spend the next 26 hours on the tarmac.
Some of the last in the world to learn about terrorist attacks in radio reports transmitted by the airplane sound system we received a report through our communication channels.
that what could have been a terrorist operation or hijacking of a car was terrifying to hear the plumbing and listening to you are ahead of the day as they finally just wander around.
Sunlight the scale of what was happening finally affected them you couldn't even get down the stairs and make 360 looks around and check out these big planes around you that to me was just my favorite thing 'I'll never forget.
Passengers arrive at the airport hungry and tired and full
the uncertainty at the time was very scary and you know it was a great shock and anxiety because we just didn’t know what was going to happen.
Happened to us we didn't really know what the future held the riders are very well known as empty people from 95 different countries in all walks of life, some did not speak English some had never heard of Canada not to mention roaming.
All were quickly welcomed with a special kind of Newfoundland empathy I think the biggest challenge
the obvious people, they were just wondering if this was real or those people.
To stop it will they rob us or what will they do because most of them have never seen the kindness and generosity that they got chicken and beef and turkey
now the operation of the military was full and the communities were crowded along the road in the small town of Gambo in the church of the salvation war.
Where do I start to love my fellow passengers ian and Julia where do I start to love my fellow passengers five days and there were double beds waiting oh yes double star accommodation actually, it was five stars like all the other places available in the Rambo church area it was a big dormitory man slept on sticks women in military camp beds but Gambo church was more than just riding and sleeping,
I felt they just needed someone who would be there just needed a friendly smile for them. I just need a face to welcome innocent people.
They may have been through strangers but in the gander community they were just people in need we had 9,300 people living in the city and I was trying to say that 6,000 of them were volunteers and when they all met what seemed like a big job.
It couldn't really be very sleepy even though that week I never went five days of a small community, the numbers were large not only 7,000 beds but 285 Thousands of food intellectual property is even surpassed even by their precious hockey corks.
That was transformed while the ice was in the rink and we said well let’s use that as a fridge and store all the food
in the ring, I always say we have the largest refrigerator for entry.
Newfoundland may be wherever possible about the community about 2,000 kilometers from new york, terrorist strikes sounded very close when their two guests discussing the news of the loss of their son.
We have a capillary gander whose son put out the fire in new york to find his body on the stairs so you know that was emotionally devastating.
Those people were like family to you and not only did they suffer tragically but the community felt very lost and far away from home Julia and ian also had their own shocking stories to deal with Ian and Julia Campbell were left homeless in Newfoundland when during the trauma of 9 11 attacks they received the news.
Their son Hamish was in trouble on a beach trip we found out that our son who was in Indonesia at the time had a staph infection and was told by Indonesian doctors.
That his foot should be amputated and not the time when you want to be in one of the many far away in the world no I was frustrated not only that they were giving everything that was happening in the new city of york and that in this small town.
They knew nothing about how they had their resources to deal with Teresa Antonetti who was in charge of the salvation army their son we managed to get Hamish back to Sydney and he managed to get his foot saved thank you very much.
You still feel that yes thank you that yeah for all the empty people there was a lot of stress and anxiety but more than five days of hospitality to the people of Gander and Gambo was not only taken care of but we also celebrated building strong friendships and bonds before finally.
It was time to leave on the first day we had seven strangers on the third day we had seven thousand friends and on the fifth day, we lost seven thousand family members that's how we got closer to those people it was a very emotional time we said goodbye.
Now living in Ottawa Teresa has not returned to Rambo church for twenty years well nothing has changed in 20 years actually.
Why was it so easy why did it happen naturally to you and your community to help these people we do not know completely the only way we know how to be we have never given.
You a second thought just to get into working mode and we did it and this is Teresa yes they are
Theresa's hair for everything in ian and Julia, Teresa puts the care and empathy of the new Finland but Teresa is grateful.
All the experiences of that week were such a reward for us to be able to show people who really need what we can do for them and how we can help there they have the next best I have found your friend standing.
Here hiding hi hi Theresa hello beautiful lady how are you amazing you know how much we appreciate everything you have done and we will remember you again honestly if we will try our best to get back there next year is it weird after 20 years.
That those feelings are still very strong, ah no it was a strong feeling then that it is impossible to go and to this day like me whenever I see anything or hear something from one of the passengers.
You can feel heartache next to it there is a town called gander there is a two-person police department SPCA primary school a local television station and the hockey rink is a small place on a large rock in the sea, so the power of the goose story has been turned into hot music moved here too worldwide.
The celebration of the best humanity among the worst
because former mayor Claude Eliot is a time his community will never forget when he talks to people.
Those who find the kindness and compassion of the gander community will always have a precious place in their hearts how that club was finally affected by innocent people, I think one thing we learned from it take.
It slow because you don't know what's going to happen
well, it's hard to believe it's been 20 years since ian and Julia once some empty people was an unexpected change that took them away from the world an experience that left an indelible mark for very good reasons.
