Four people from Newfoundland and Labrador share their stories of helping thousands of stranded passengers on 9/11, when terrorist attacks closed airspace over North America. Hundreds of planes were diverted to the province, leaving 4,000-5,000 guests in need of housing. The individuals, who worked at various locations including a hockey arena and an airport, recall how they and their staff stepped up to help, working long hours with little sleep. Their stories highlight the kindness and generosity of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians during this chaotic day 25 years ago.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 8, 2024, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed, an event that has become a significant marker for young conservatives in America, akin to September 11, 2001 and the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. The day of his death is now referred to by some as 9/10, symbolizing its impact on political activism among students. Meanwhile, the small Canadian town of Gander played a pivotal role during the September 11 attacks when U.S. airspace was closed, leading to 38 international flights landing there, doubling the population overnight and necessitating an impromptu humanitarian effort by locals to aid around 7,000 stranded passengers and crew members for several days. This act of kindness inspired the Broadway musical "Come From Away," which highlights Gander's generosity and humanity in times of crisis.
Written for “9/11 Anniversary Reflections” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 167 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 7694 · logged 2026-09-11
Four people in N.L. share their stories
asserted
people → share → stories
Attacks closed airspace, leaving thousands stranded in the province
Twenty-five years ago, planes were diverted when terrorist attacks shut down airspace over North America.
asserted
attacks → close → America
Hundreds of planes were directed to land in Newfoundland and Labrador on Sept. 11, 2001.
asserted
Hundreds → direct → Sept.
In response, communities stepped up to fulfill their needs by helping clothe, house and feed thousands of stranded passengers.
asserted
communities → step → passengers
The order came down for planes in the sky to land where they could, which prompted people to welcome strangers into their homes, or open up other facilities.
uncertain
which → come → facilities
Four people share their memories about the day the world stood still — where they were, what they did and the role they played.
asserted
they → share → what
On 9/11, Glenn Stanford was at what was then-known as the Mile One Centre in downtown St. John’s, where he ran the building and the St. John’s Maple Leafs hockey team.
asserted
he → know → building
They were getting ready to host an NHL training camp but said that they ended up welcoming those in need instead.
asserted
they → get → need
He got a call to get the centre ready to house 4,000-5,000 guests, who were dropped off in buses and spent several days there.
asserted
who → get → days
He added his staff stepped up, going several days working with little sleep.
asserted
staff → add → sleep
“As we reflect on the 25th and what Gander did and what St. John’s did, it was pretty remarkable what was pulled off in that time,” said Stanford.
asserted
Stanford → reflect → time
Mac Moss
Mac Moss was a campus administrator for the College of the North Atlantic in Gander at the time of 9/11, and got a call asking him to house hundreds of people.
asserted
Moss → get → people
In response, he said the college put together teams to handle things like food preparation, accommodations, administration and cleaning to make the process go smoothly.
asserted
process → say → preparation
In the aftermath, he said some passengers stayed in touch and some have come back to town.
asserted
some → say → town
“The American ambassador’s coming here and, you know, he said some nasty things about Canada.
asserted
he → come → Canada
It's about the people who got killed in New York.
asserted
who → kill → York
And it's about the kindness of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," said Moss.
asserted
Moss → say → Newfoundlanders
Larry Pittman
Larry Pittman, who was the airport manager for the Goose Bay airport corporation during 9/11, said the airport received dozens of aircraft and they had to look at old 1940s airfield plans to check their available space and whether it could withstand the weight of the incoming planes.
uncertain
it → say → planes
What sticks with him all these years later is how they had phones available for those stranded so they could contact their homes and check in with loved ones.
uncertain
they → stick → ones
“But most of the passengers had no idea what had happened in New York City that day.
asserted
what → have → City
We were the ones that were informing them what had happened.��”
Glen Yetman
Glen Yetman was working as air traffic controller in Gander and helped co-ordinate landing planes, and remembers it as a chaotic day.
“We had to reroute them and divert them and try to land them as best we could and get them lined up to land in these new airports.
uncertain
them → inform → airports
There's a lot of confusion that day, of course, as congestion on the frequencies was crazy,” he said.
asserted
he → be → frequencies
Yetman said colleagues who had the day off came into work to help, adding those on the ground couldn’t know if there was a threat on any of the planes they were communicating with.
asserted
they → say → planes
