The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

The Preface to the 2021 edition notes the enduring resonance of the events in Newfoundland in the days immediately following September 11, 2001. When interviewed for the book’s 2021 rerelease, Jean Chrétien, the Canadian prime minister in 2011, observed that both September 11 and the pandemic highlighted the interconnected nature of the modern world. Both showed “that we were part of the global village” (8). Acknowledging that the village can sometimes seem scary, the story of Gander, Newfoundland, “offers a way through the fear” (8).

DeFede shares three critical facts about Newfoundland. First, the correct pronunciation of the town name rhymes with “understand” (10). Second, its distinct style and language are a legacy of the “working-class English and Irish” settlers who “came for the fish” (10). Third, Newfoundland has its own time zone, running an 90 minutes before Eastern Standard Time. Newfoundlanders are proud of their heritage and fiercely independent; they did not become part of Canada until 1949 and continue to identify more with their region than the nation.

Despite the region’s 16% unemployment rate and depressed economy, which some locals blame on the central government for exploiting their natural resources and “cheat[ing] them out of financial well-being” (12), Newfoundlanders are exceptionally hospitable.