As the world prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Gander’s mayor Percy Farwell takes a moment to reflect on the day the people of the region embraced 6,600 strangers who arrived on 34 passenger flights the morning of September 11, 2001.

Facing the almost unbelievable reality of having the town’s population almost doubling in mere hours was quite the day for the man who was, at the time, the Deputy Mayor.

MONUMENT UNVEILING

Though Gander and many surrounding communities have been celebrated in both documentaries and on Broadway, the upcoming events will be focused on the victims of the September 11 attacks.

This year’s events include a non-denominational service at the town’s arena on the afternoon of September 11, as well as a monument unveiling that features a piece of World Trade Center steel that was donated to the Town of Gander by New York firefighters in 2011.

Many of the events will be virtual and available for viewing online, with NTV set to broadcast the non-denominational service. Farwell says there’s been massive interest in the events from national and international media and he’s moved each time he’s asked to speak on the topic.

“The whole intent of this is certainly not a celebration of anything. This is a reflection on those horrible events and which really, in many respects, changed the world,” he began.

“It’s a reflection for those who were impacted either by losing their lives or by losing loved ones or those who were a first responder,” he continued.

A COMMEMORATION

“Many will never get over what happened so this is a reflection and a commemoration for those people. But it’s also a reminder of the importance of kindness and compassion in times of adversity. The type of things that happened here and elsewhere in the days following that tragedy hopefully provided some reassurance and comfort to the people that were distressed about the events that were going on,” he said.
At a time when events driven by hatred were occurring, love showed the way, he added.

“Hopefully it’ll be seen as personally uplifting because, fortunately, there were some good on display and that message and the importance of that has been picked up worldwide.”

HELPING HANDS

The story of hope and helping hands is what we need to remember 20 years later, he continued.

“The story of Gander has certainly been told far and wide and it’s been impactful to some people hearing the story. I think that’s important,” Farwell shared

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Two decades later, the town still hears from people who were affected, or who were moved after hearing the story of ‘the plane people.’
“I’ve received packages of letters from school-aged children who were writing to thank the people of Gander and those in the area for what we did during 9/11. They share how they reflect on the importance of kindness and generosity in their own actions since hearing the story. They were not born in September 2001. But this story has continued to have a positive impact on people as it’s being relayed in the school system.”

It’s both humbling and very encouraging, he added.

“That’s the legacy that will be attached – a thank you to those that stepped forward and did what we all would do. Nobody did anything that they wouldn’t expect someone else to do for them, it just seemed to be an instinctive reaction. Wherever help was needed, help was provided just instinctively.”

HONOURED TO SHARE

It’s a legacy the town and the province is honoured to share.

“Hatred gave rise to those attacks, but let’s focus on the goodness that followed and the affirmation of the importance of basic human values and basic human kindness and how important that is and how those individual acts of kindness on a one-on-one basis made such an impact on people in times of distress.”

Kindness didn’t make up for the lives lost, of course, he added thoughtfully, but it does give hope that good and thoughtful deeds can prevail.
“The horrors of that day and the people that have to go the rest of their lives with loved ones missing or gone is never far from anyone’s mind, but it’s humbling and it’s encouraging that there’s some good that came out of that day, and we can be thankful for that.”

Stay tuned to NTV for “The Power of Many: 9/11 Commemorative Service.” NTV will broadcast love from Gander from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The program will also repeat on Sept. 12th from 8:00 am to 10:00 am

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Pharmacist Stephanie Burden may have been named Canadian Pharmacist of the Year, but this proud rural Newfoundlander says thinking and acting with local interests at heart is what made her Canada’s best.  

“I realized something that I think is important. Too often we see rural Newfoundlanders and Labradorians hinder their own growth worrying that they are limited by where they came from, or they are intimidated by the opportunities that they may have missed out on by growing up in a rural region,” she began. Burden, who owns Complete Care Pharmasave in Rocky Harbour, says she wants others to understand that bigger isn’t always better. 

“I want people in this province to know that coming from a small town does not make you less qualified than anyone else. In fact, it gives you incredible character strengths. Resilience. Determination.” 

Dream bigger

A solid foundation with strong roots from which to build your life starts locally, she added. “If you choose to allow geography to be a limitation for what you can achieve, it will be, but if you instead use it as fuel to work a little harder and to dream a little bigger, then those character strengths will shine on the provincial and national stage,” she shared. 

So, what finally thrust Burden on a national stage? Thinking locally, without a doubt. “This COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to shine a light on the essential role of pharmacists in rural communities. I saw a need to reach out and educate and support those who maybe wouldn’t always had access to their questions during pandemic times.” 

Burden’s regular and informative Facebook posts became a lifeline to so many. But then again, Burden stood out long before COVID-19 struck our shores. 

When she opened Complete Care Pharmasave in 2016, she launched something unique in her community of Rocky Harbour, creating a healthcare hub with a pharmacy at the center.

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A heart & a wave

Almost from day one, Burden introduced healthcare services not previously available in Rocky Harbour, including immunizations and same-day delivery to communities 90 kilometers away. In many rural areas, a community pharmacist is often the only healthcare provider. 

“It gives patients a touchpoint. Somewhere, and someone, they are familiar with. The real heart of rural living is knowing everyone, waving at your neighbours. That shouldn’t change when you enter the health-care system.”

That critical role her pharmacy played in the community grew with the pandemic. As tension and fear rose during the early days of COVID-19, Burden ensured her patients had the access they needed to stay healthy. Although public hours were reduced, the pharmacy offered phone and online ordering.

She leveraged her social media experience to reach out, creating videos that offered advice. “Social media allowed me to stay connected, to give advice on how to adapt and live well through COVID-19,” she said.

 When asked why she thinks she was selected for this honour, she paused. “I think probably one of the things that made me stand out was my passion for rural health care and the fact that I really want to close up gaps in rural health care by providing patients with the same level of care, no matter if they were living rurally or if they were living urban.”

‘This is my home’

When she’s not helping others, Burden says she’s busy enjoying life and taking advantage of all the benefits that come with living in rural Newfoundland. “I grew up in the area. This is my home. So when I’m not working or not busy learning about pharmacy, I really enjoy the outdoors. Getting outside and being passionate about the outdoors is excellent because we live here in the Gros Morne area, so I enjoy hiking and snowmobiling and spending time with my husband and our dog and with friends and family,” she said.

Born in St. Paul, a region of about 200 livyers, Burden said she understands the need for her services and the positive impact she can have. “Access is a big thing for small areas. Access to services, and access to information: I try to close those gaps up as best I can,” she said. 

Burden’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. From Newfoundland to the national stage, Burden shared that she feels the support and it inspires her to keep going. She’s also honoured to be a role model for others from rural regions. Her words of wisdom tell the tale.

“Believe that you are capable of great things, and stay true to that belief, even when the work is hard and the days are long, and you will achieve whatever you’ve set your mind to.”

For more on Burden, follow her on Facebook @PharmacistStephanie

It is the ultimate test in extreme racing. Cain’s Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race sees competitors from across the globe tackle 3,100 kilometers of rugged yet picturesque Labrador in a one-of-a-kind challenge that tests mind and body as much as it does the machine.

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

Longtime Herald readers are well acquainted with the biennial racer gut-check, one that sees prospective participants navigate deep snow, thickly wooded areas, and wide-open frozen lakes through day and night, guided only by a trusty GPS and heaps of instinct and intuition. 

“You know, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart,” shared Sean Murphy of Cain’s Quest. “You get out there and you’re out there for a long time and you do start to hallucinate and you start to see things. A lot of guys talk about that … It’s minus 30 out, you’re dog tired. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about the emotional and the mental part of it. They are as much a factor as the physical and the weather.”

The 2020 installment of Cain’s Quest features a fine mix of newcomers and returning race veterans. 42 rookies and 52 Cain’s Quest vets round out the lineup. 

The youngest racer on the field is 20 years old, while the elder statesman clocks in at 73. There are four teams representing the Cree Nation, two from Finland and four women’s teams, a first for the contest.

“We keep trying to push the exposure more and more each year,” Murphy explains of the diverse field of racers. “We have two teams from Finland. Team 88 from Finland, they’re a real crowd-pleaser, a real fan favorite. And it’s hard to put into words the reception that these people get, like on the coast of Labrador. They’re like rock stars, like superstars. And the reception they’re given is second to none. People bring the racers into their own houses and homes and everything. So it’s quite a bonding experience.”

Maine native Robert Gardner returns to Cain’s Quest looking for a three-peat in 2020, albeit with a new partner, though he continues to embrace his role as a villain. 

“He’s defending this year and he plays a bad guy very well,” Murphy says of defending champion, Gardner. “You know, a lot of people don’t like him. But you know what? He’s here year after year. He puts money into the race and he’s there to win. And he has three wins. This may be a three-peat as far as consecutive wins, so he’ll be back. And he has a new partner this year, so it’s gonna be very interesting.”

REAL-TIME FANS

Race fans and friends and family of the participants can tune into Cain’s Quest in near real-time thanks to individual satellite tracking units attached to each and every racer. Not only is this an added safety feature for the teams, but it allows race followers to cheer on their favourite teams and watch the race changing from moment to moment.

“We’ve partnered with Yellow Brick Tracking (YB). They do a lot of nautical races, the yacht races and that. It seemed to be a real good fit for Cain’s Quest when they were looking for a tracking system. For a very small fee, you can track the race the whole time and it’s very interesting. For a race that you can’t really watch live and see the racers, that Yellow Brick Tracking is really good. And a lot of people get it and follow the race very closely.”

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Residents of Labrador have become as big a part of the race as the sleek trails and at times turbulent elements, embracing the racers with the type of hospitality that is hard to replicate.

“People who actually race are so affected by the people of Labrador,” Murphy explains. 

“That’s one thing they comment on a lot, how well they’re received, how well they’re treated, and how much people of Labrador are into this race.”

As for why so many return year in and year out to tackle one of the world’s most limit-grinding challenges, Murphy, for his part, admits there has to be an addictive factor at play.

“I think for the most part, people who are doing these races are outdoors people anyway. They’ve covered that land so much that to put it all together in one race there, these guys believe they can do it and they go out with every intention of doing this race. And it keeps bringing them back. Whatever it is, it’s a really addictive race. People just say that. It’s for a certain type of person, a certain type of competitor for sure. It’s a whole other  level.”

For more on Cain’s Quest 2020, which kicks off March 7th, visit cainsquest.com and visit the official event social media.

The names of the major players, what was taken – stripped away – need not be mentioned here. It is what occurred in the immediate aftermath of one of the more tragic events in modern times – on a bustling unsung jewel of an island in the Atlantic – that are worthy of note and recognition.

3,000 kilometres from Manhattan, some 38 planes, with over 6,500 confused and frightened passengers from all walks of life, touched down in the picturesque aviation town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. What happened next, in the context of the day, was nothing short of extraordinary.

Bonds of friendship were formed – bonds of love in some cases – and the accepting and welcoming of complete strangers turned immediate family, were forged, and tightly.

Yes, the kindness of the Ganderites and neighbouring communities – if not Newfoundlanders as a Labradorians as a whole – to the descended come from aways has been well documented. Hell, it is the stuff Tony winning musicals are made of.

Now one filmmaker has taken that story of beauty and brightness out of pain and darkness and has adapted it into an emotional, poignant and heartwarming documentary – You Are Here: A Come From Away Story. 

Celebrated Canadian director and filmmaker Moze Mossanen, fully immersed in the magnitude of the growing sensation that was the soon-to-be Broadway gem Come From Away, had the idea of telling the story of Gander on September 11th and the days that followed, and doing so on a wide scale.

“I contacted the producers of Come From Away in New York with this crazy idea of creating a documentary, and I really needed to have their ok with it, because I really wanted to have access to a lot of people and to build relationships,” shared Mossanen. “This is the type of project that is really special because of the source material, the music and the way they went about it was to create a bond with a community and to gain their trust and confidence. And that’s exactly what I wanted – for me and my producers it was really important to do that, to move forward in a really organic, grassroots level.”

Rewind to September of 2001 and perfect strangers Nick and Diane found themselves amongst the 6,000 strong displaced at Gander airport.

“On the plane we were not told what happened, we were just told that the American airspace was closed,” Nick shared. “I thought oh there’s something wrong with the airplane. Then when we landed we were told what had happened. That didn’t really sink in until we got taken to our shelter. They put the tvs on with the looping news and it was, oh my god, it was like a movie. It was like a horror movie, it didn’t look like it was real. It was terrible to keep watching this and to think of all the lives that were lost. What on earth is going on?”

“It was especially worrying to me, because we were on the plane for over 28 hours,” seconds Diane. “All of the planes had to sit there for several reasons. Security reasons, there could have been bombers or terrorists on our planes, any of those planes. Plus they had to organize to do something with us. It was worrying to me to sit there, because I did not know how my family in Houston was. I had a son who lived here who used to have to fly for work and I didn’t know where he was. I didn’t know if my family knew where I was at first.”

Nick and Diane’s story – one of thousands of unique tales of where and when and with whom in the aftermath of 9/11 – is one of the more uncompromisingly beautiful and bright of the bunch, one that would see a growing relationship blossom in the midst of utter chaos.

“I don’t know if you’d find anywhere else in the world where people are so open, loving and welcoming, and friendly,” Nick says of his appreciation for Newfoundland hospitality. “You couldn’t have chosen a more incredible place to be stranded for five days. If it hadn’t have been for their kindness and generosity – they were entertaining us and screeching us in and taking us to Dover fault – if it wasn’t for all of that kindness I wouldn’t be sitting here today with Diane. We could have been stuck in the corner of a hanger somewhere, laying on the cement and not even knowing your next door neighbour. It’s due to the kindness, generosity and given nature of the Newfoundlanders that I am here with Diane today.”

Nick and Diane, from strangers to friends and much more, were married on September 7, 2002. They honeymooned in Newfoundland, where they were treated to a lively local reception planned by their vast growing network of friends.

Kevin Tuerff, known to Come From Away buffs as Kevin T., was likewise amongst the throngs of passengers who touched down in Gander. His experience, the warmth and generosity dolled out generously by livyers, moved him to the point of near life-changing, epiphany striking status.

“I came back and immediately wanted to tell people that story,” shared Tuerff. “In that terrible month and year our country was living in fear and it was one terrible story after another, constantly watching the same video of the planes hitting the tower and the pentagon. I wanted to tell the story of what I saw on that dark day in Gander that restored my faith in humanity.”

Nick and Diane Marson and Kevin Tuerff were among the dozens interviewed by Mossanen for You Are Here, who delved deep into the Gander connection from multiple angles – be it the locals, come from aways and more. The recurring thread of compassion and kindness in the face of struggle was overwhelmingly apparent in all cases.

“What was extraordinary was something good came out of this on one of the worst days known to memory,” says Mossanen. “When so much death happened, so much destruction and tragedy, that in another part of the world we saw a better face of humanity, that our true capacity is actually in the face of the people who turn out to help. I don’t know who said this to me, but I’ll never forget it, that in a moment of crisis don’t look for the culprit, don’t look for who caused it, look for the people who are turning out to help. That’s the true reflection of what we’re like and I think that’s such a good thing to remember. It’s hard to do that, because you ultimately want to go towards revenge and finger-pointing and accusations and culpability, but then we forget that no, during these times more people turn out to save, to help, to aid, to comfort.”

Mossanen’s vision was to put a spotlight on Gander and the surrounding region, to share the – at the time – little known reality of just how far a group of people would go, pushing selflessness to the extremes, to come to the aid of those who need it. That vision is one shared by the Marson’s, Tuerff and so many come from aways turned familiar faces to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

“In the troubled times we live in where there’s such divide in the world, not just America, I believe the only way we can solve some of that is by being compassionate and helping others, talking with others and doing good deeds for others. Arguing over the facts just isn’t working,” said Tuerff. “Newfoundland and Labrador is a beacon for how we should be living in this world … It’s like going to a second family reunion. We have this common bond, both the Canadians and the Americans, so it’s just great. I have, on my subsequent trips, made a lot of friends. I’ve spent more time travelling across the province and exploring what amazing natural beauty you have. I’m the unpaid ambassador of Newfoundland. I’m trying as hard as I can to get Americans to see the show and visit. I know that they’ve seen an uptake in tourism, but I know it’s only going to get better.”

“What’s wonderful is the story of Newfoundland and how Gander and other towns took care of passengers all over the world,” Diane says. “It needs to be told. There needs to be more of that humanity celebrated … We’re not the heroes of this story. The Newfoundland people are. Whatever we can do to promote this for Newfoundland, that’s what we want to do.”

(From 2018) You Are Here: A Come From Away Story, premieres on HBO Canada on tonight, Tuesday September 11th at 10:30 pm. Newfoundland time, 9:00 pm EST. It will then be available for viewing on HBO Go and The Movie Network on Demand as well as on streaming service Crave TV.