Never Forget

Twenty-Five Years Later 

It still feels like yesterday. I will never forget where I was on that day. I had just landed in Divonne-les-Bains, France, for a global HR conference. As I always did when I travelled, I turned on CNN as soon as I walked into my hotel room. Suddenly, the world I knew seemed to stop. I watched the television in disbelief, seeing the same horrific images that people everywhere were watching. At first, it was difficult to even comprehend what was happening. Immediately one thought took over: I need to call Russell.

Russell was at work, in Mississauga, where we lived at the time. I tried calling but the phone lines were overwhelmed. I eventually got through. Just hearing his voice was an enormous relief. Neither of us knew what was going to happen next.

The conference continued despite the unimaginable turmoil around us. There were people from all over the world attending. We tried to continue with our work but it felt surreal. Everyone was affected, everyone was worried about someone and everyone was anxious about getting home.

The airspace eventually reopened and I flew back to Toronto on the Friday. I was travelling with a colleague and we held hands as the plane took off. We were going home.

While I had been away, Russell had been living with a fear that I could only truly understand once I got home. He didn't know when I would be able to return. He sat in his office at work and watched the skies. They had become eerily quiet. That silence was terrifying.

When I finally walked through that door and saw Russell, the fear and uncertainty of those days seemed to release all at once. We were together again and the tears flowed. That moment stayed with me.

One cannot remember the horror and heartbreak of 9/11 without remembering the extraordinary people of Gander, who, in a moment of unimaginable tragedy, opened their homes and their hearts to thousands of strangers in need. Their compassion became a beacon of hope in one of humanity's darkest moments.

In 2016, Russell and I went to New York City and visited the 9/11 memorial site. Standing there was incredibly emotional. Time had passed but the memories hadn't disappeared. If anything, being there brought them back with a clarity we weren't prepared for. Below are a few photos that we took.

Twenty-Five years have passed. Some memories never fade...the television in my hotel room, trying to reach Russell, the uncertainty, the quiet skies, the flight home, the people of Gander.  Today, we pause to remember it all...the lives lost, the lives forever changed and the day we will never forget. 

"Reflecting Absence", the memorial for those
who perished on September 11th, 2001.

"The Last Column" holds the
messages, photographs and 
tributes from recovery workers
and families.

The 9/11 Birthday Rose program places a single
rose next to the name of each person lost in the
tragedy and it is done on their birthday and 
continues today.