On February 12, 2025, I attended the theatrical production entitled Come From Away at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.
This production is based on the real events that occurred in the town of Gander, Newfoundland, directly following the September 11 attacks. Early that morning, the Federal Aviation Administration decided to shut down its airspace, forcing thousands of planes to land at nearby airports. This grounded 38 planes, carrying 6,579 passengers and crew, in the small city of Gander. This was one of the locations that would later be known as Operation Yellow Ribbon.
The objective of Canada’s Operation Yellow Ribbon was to drive as much air traffic out of the United States as possible. This would help minimize the possible damage and loss of life that could occur from using the aircraft as a weapon against the U.S. Thus, airports and military bases across Canada opened themselves to planes needing to be grounded in a desire to help their southern neighbors.
After five hours of remaining in the planes, the passengers disembarked to be greeted with open arms by the 10,000-person town of Gander. Community centers, churches, and schools all housed and fed the “Come From Aways.”
After five days of hospitality in Gander, the grounded planes and passengers were finally allowed to begin their departure, and on September 16, all diverted planes took off. Come From Away shows the heart behind the generous town that rescues and accepts strangers in a time of crisis.
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