The Globe and Mail
· collected 2026-09-11 · by Lindsay Jones, Photography by Johnny C.Y. Lam
On September 11, 2001, nearly 38 planes carrying over 6,600 travelers and crew were diverted to Gander International Airport after US airspace was closed following terrorist attacks in New York and Virginia, killing nearly 3,000 people. This week, thousands of passengers who were stranded at the airport for several days returned to Gander to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their ordeal and the kindness shown by local residents, who took them into their homes and offered food and shelter. Retired air traffic controller Patrick Woodford was one of those who formed a lasting bond with a passenger, Beverly Bass, after helping guide her plane to safety on that day. The airport has been busy this week as thousands of people returned to Gander for the anniversary celebration.
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).
Retired air traffic controller Patrick Woodford stood behind a metal gate and eagerly scanned the arrivals hall of the Gander International Airport.
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Woodford → retire → Airport
He noticed how much busier it was this week than usual.
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it → notice → ?
Dozens of people were milling around the airport’s one baggage carousel and waiting near its two car rental counters.
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Dozens → mill → counters
Finally, he spotted the passenger he was waiting for and raised an arm.
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he → spot → arm
Beverley Bass, a petite woman with a short platinum haircut, strode headlong into his arms.
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Bass → stride → arms
“How’s everything?” he said, squeezing his friend in a tight embrace.
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he → ’ → embrace
“How’s everything?”
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everything → ’ → ?
The two had first forged a connection 25 years ago, here at the same airport, under horrifying circumstances.
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two → forge → circumstances
Mr. Woodford was the one who helped guide Ms. Bass, the pilot of an American Airlines flight that had been en route from Paris to Dallas, to land on a Gander runway on Sept. 11, 2001.
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that → guide → Sept.
That day, hijackers affiliated with the al-Qaeda terrorism network crashed planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in Virginia.
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hijackers → affiliate → Virginia
A fourth plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania.
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plane → go → Pennsylvania
Nearly 3,000 people were killed, including 24 Canadians.
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people → kill → Canadians
After officials closed U.S. airspace, this tiny airport was the landing spot for 38 passenger planes carrying more than 6,600 travellers and crew – part of an operation that diverted up to 250 flights to airports across Canada.
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that → close → Canada
And the town, with its population of less than 10,000 people at the time, became their temporary home.
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town → become → time
Thousands have made that airport busy again this week, and returned to that home for a gathering on Friday to remember the extraordinary generosity and kindness shown by their found families in Gander, as well as nearby communities throughout central Newfoundland.
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airport → make → Newfoundland
Residents co-ordinated airport logistics, invited stranded passengers into their homes, prepared mass meals and transformed schools, churches and community halls into shelters.
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co → co → shelters
They took their hospitality to what some still consider an extreme.
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some → take → what
In what Ms. Bass recalled as a bewildering act of kind-heartedness from Mr. Woodford, he handed her the keys to his truck when they struck up a conversation at the airport while he was on a break.
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he → recall → break
“Here’s this guy who I don’t even know.
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I → ’ → who
He said, ‘You can have the keys to my truck.’
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You → say → truck
I’m looking at him like he’s crazy,” she said, still in disbelief all these years later.
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she → look → disbelief
When she asked if he was afraid she might steal his truck, he told her: “Well, you’re on an island.
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you → ask → island
Where are you going to go?”
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you → go → ?
To Mr. Woodford, it was just a small act of humanity – of faith in a complete stranger – at a time when the world seemed like it was ending.
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it → seem → time
It was moments like these that, for many people in town, paved the way to lifelong friendships.
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that → pave → friendships
Like many others, Mr. Woodford and Ms. Bass stayed in touch, visiting back and forth in Gander and Denton, Tex., over the years, celebrating milestones and bonding with each others’ family members.
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Woodford → stay → members
The emotions of those trying days and the bonds that resulted are depicted in the Tony award-winning musical Come From Away, which debuted in 2015 and has been produced in countries around the world.
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which → result → world
This year, it returned to Gander for its fourth season.
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it → return → season
Gander’s kindness, which became a symbol of co-operation between Canada and the U.S., has also been immortalized in a new Heritage Minute.
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which → become → Minute
It is circulating at a time of intense political and economic strife between the two countries.
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It → circulate → countries
On Friday, the friendship and connection between Americans and Canadians is nonetheless being venerated at a commemoration service that will honour the victims of the attacks as well as the first responders.
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that → venerate → attacks
Hundreds of “plane people” are expected to attend an afternoon ceremony at the local arena, as well as dignitaries including Governor-General Louise Arbour; Jean Chrétien, who was prime minister during the attacks; and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.
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who → expect → Canada
Last week, the Town of Gander defended its decision to host Mr. Hoekstra, who has amplified the rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump in the escalating trade war instigated by his administration.
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who → defend → administration
Mayor Percy Farwell, who was deputy mayor 25 years ago, encouraged Newfoundlanders to rise above the disrespect and stay true to their welcoming hearts.
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who → encourage → hearts
“We’re remembering the great tragedy and the great loss, and we’re trying to reflect on those who lost their lives and support those that lost loved ones and that were permanently impacted by those events,” he said during an interview last week.
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he → remember → interview
“We reflect on how we, as a twist of fate, became involved in a specific way – in being able to provide support to impacted people – and how much we value that.
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we → reflect → that
Those sorts of things transcend any emotions we might have around the latest Truth Social post or the latest version of trade talks.”
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we → transcend → talks
It was a message heard repeatedly about town this week as locals reunited with their “plane people” friends and attended storytelling events, tours of the airport, performances of Come From Away and screech-in ceremonies to welcome visitors at the local Royal Canadian Legion.
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locals → hear → Legion
Monica Burke, who now lives in the state of Georgia, was on her way home to Seattle on 9/11 when her flight was diverted to Gander.
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flight → live → Gander
Returning to that legion hall on Wednesday evening caused a flood of memories to come back.
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flood → return → memories
…and 57 more, not listed.
