Long before the tariffs, trade barriers and diplomatic tensions between the US and Canada, there was a time when thousands of Americans found unexpected refuge in a tiny Canadian town after 9/11. On September 11, 2001, residents of a small Canadian town thousands of miles from New York suddenly found themselves caring for thousands of strangers caught up in an unprecedented crisis. When the United States closed its airspace following the terrorist attacks, 38 passenger planes crossing the Atlantic were diverted to Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador. The town, with a population of fewer than 10,000 people, suddenly had to accommodate around 7,000 passengers and crew. Schools, churches, community centres and homes became temporary shelters, while residents supplied food, clothing and other essentials. What began as an emergency quickly became an extraordinary display of hospitality, with ordinary people opening their doors to frightened travellers who had no idea when they would be able to continue their journeys.
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