As the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks approaches, the Newfoundland town of Gander receives a special Canadian tribute for its extraordinary hospitality toward thousands of stranded airline passengers.
Gander’s Historic Act of Kindness
On September 11, 2001, when all North American flights were grounded following the terrorist attacks, Gander opened its doors to over 6,000 unexpected visitors. Local residents provided shelter, food, and comfort during a national crisis, an event that later inspired the Broadway musical Come From Away.
New Heritage Minute Production
Brothers Peter and Rob Blackie from Gander-based Elemental Pictures are producing a 60-second Heritage Minute to capture this story. Filming is set for next month in the community, with a call for 1,000 background actors.
“It’s funny that we feel a tremendous amount of pressure to really do a good job,” Peter Blackie stated. “We always feel that with all of our projects. But this is now in front of the hometown crowd. And it’s a big responsibility to tell a story that is as impactful as this one.”
The video will highlight Gander International Airport’s iconic lounge and premiere ahead of the anniversary. Blackie emphasized the town’s residents who stepped up during the crisis: “There’s a lot of people in Gander who did a lot of amazing things to help people in a time of great need, and certainly for all of the Americans involved, a time of personal and national crisis.”
He added that production plans prioritize simplicity for participants without acting experience: “It’s a lot to ask of people who don’t necessarily have set experience. But the plan is to make things really, really clear and simple.”
Behind the Project
The Blackie brothers, known for larger-scale productions, joined after an Ontario resident proposed the idea to Historica Canada, the organization behind the Heritage Minutes. An initial team with director Deanne Foley was selected, but when the producer withdrew, the Blackies stepped in as a preferred Newfoundland-based team.
“We learned afterwards that Historica Canada really wanted a Newfoundland-based team, both for the director and the producers,” Peter Blackie explained.
Personal Connection to 9/11
Peter Blackie recalls his own experience on that day in New York City, where he worked as an architect near the World Trade Center. “I was on the phone trying to call my girlfriend. I couldn’t get through. So it was basically the phone lines were all jammed and I was hanging up, re-dial, busy tone,” he shared.
Soon after, news spread of Gander’s role, including a German colleague mentioning a Lufthansa flight diverted there with passengers welcomed into homes. “It was a weird experience for me to be from the town that had this really unusual role in the events of that day. So it was kind of, yeah, a very surreal experience to be honest,” Blackie reflected.
