Jim DeFede is a broadcast journalist who works as an investigative reporter for CBS4 News in Miami Florida and also hosts the station’s Sunday morning public affairs programme.

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

What a wonderful book that tells the story of the town of Gander, Newfoundland when over 30 planes were diverted to this remote area on 9/11. The book garners these stars not so much for the quality of the writing, but rather for the people and acts of humanity that town provided to over 6,000 passengers and crew that were forced to land there when US airspace was closed. We follow a few main passengers, a lot of the townfolk and a whole lot of compassion that this area of Canada was able to give (at no cost) to these unfortunate people whose lives were put on hold that day and for almost 6 days thereafter. An incredible and mammoth challenge. And one never to be forgotten by the passengers from so many countries in the world. What were the chances!? I go from asking my wife if she has ever heard about this 9/11 story I last heard about almost a decade ago to finding out we are going to see a musical on it!? For the most part, I enjoyed the movie. It had a real "Newfoundland feel" to it, some spectacular scenery shots and tried valiantly (and successfully to a large extent) to portray both the bewilderment and sometimes anger of the passengers who found themselves trapped in this insanity, as well as the struggle of the city and its officials to come to terms with the role they had been given. The performances weren't great, but they were decent enough, and it was nice to see a Canadian- made movie that was unapologetically Canadian. The movie did have two major flaws, though. First was the decision to introduce two potential romances to the mix (one between passengers, and one between a passenger and a resident.) Frankly, that just didn't fit. I can't think of a better way to put it. The other mistake was to focus so heavily on the passengers, when the real story was the absolute logistical miracle as this small city came together to meet a herculean challenge. There was little sense of what the city was up against, and of how incredible their efforts were. The people of Gander came across here as nice, but not valiant. That was a real weakness. Their actions were more than just taking in passengers whose flight had been delayed. The Newfoundlanders had provided a caring haven for humdreds of people at a moment when they were scared and far from home. They were made to feel safe and secure when the world around them seemed anything but.”If you need something to make you believe (again) that there are good, kind and generous people in this world read this book. Inside it's covers is an uplifting and incredible story about the 38 planeloads of passengers (6,600 people) who had to be diverted to the very tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland after the events of 9/11. It is also very much about their hosts, the citizens of Gander who made every person feel comfortable and welcome. A volunteer had taped a large map of the world to the wall and with a crude red marker drew an arrow pointing to Gander. YOU ARE HERE , the volunteer wrote on the map. Exhausted passengers would stop and stare at the map for several minutes, trying to regain their bearings. the author spoke of Boze headphones they'd taken from the plane; if these are the ones I'm thinking of, the company is called Bose, not Boze.

The Day the World Came to Town - Choosing Wisdom

It's been a tough year. A year when I've said repeatedly, "I've never seen the like." A pandemic, social justice unrest and demonstrations, a devastating ice storm in our city, devastating fires nearby, political dissension and violence, economies shutting down...the list seems endless. It's been a time where hope appears anorexic, shrinking before my eyes. The emotional impact of these and other stories are undeniable. It is difficult to not feel the anxiety of Hannah and Dennis O’Rourke, parents awaiting word about their son, a New York City firefighter. Or the hope and commitment expressed by Beulah Cooper, a local “Newfie,” who made it her mission to comfort the O’Rourkes in any way possible.

They always ask why we did it. They can’t figure it out. And I tell them that for us, it’s normal. I’m still not sure what all the fuss is about.” High school principal Eithne Smith providing kosher food for stranded religious Jewish passengers and opening the school for them so that they could observe the sabbath. In a moving moment, a rabbi from London met with a Gander resident who had lived as a hidden Jew for nearly his entire life. This passage moved me to tears. The Day The World Came To Town is full of anecdotes of spontaneous offers of help. Full of individual stories about stranded passengers like the family returning from Kazakhstan with their newly adopted daughter or the couple who were supported by their new friends as they anxiously awaited news of their son, a New York firefighter.

The Day the World Came to Town - Wikipedia

All the news coverage repeatedly showing the nightmare of 9-11 and not once did I see or remember anything about Gander and "the nicest people in the world." If you must be stranded somewhere, Gander is the place to be. So many personal stories of interest are depicted here as the passengers and animals are welcomed with open arms and hearts after long 24 hour wait times on board. Lorne Manly (16 February 2016). " 'Come From Away,' a Sept. 11 Musical, Is Coming to Broadway". The New York Times . Retrieved 25 January 2021.With 6,600 passengers from international flights you can imagine the level of diversity amongst these people. For me, some of the most moving parts of this book were about a couple of these people and their experience in Gander. Another fabulous story was about the men's fashion designer who bought some new underwear at Walmarts. What happens after that is both funny and moving.

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

He certainly paints a clear picture of the logistical challenge of feeding and housing so many people at short notice. He also brings out the human dimension, particularly the many acts of individual kindness shown by the “Newfies” to their temporary residents. But I found his style frequently irritating, especially his tendency to switch tenses mid paragraph or even within the same sentence. As an example we’re told: “Although her English is only fair, Mayor Roth introduced herself to various people at the school and thanked them for everything they were doing.” The Day the World Came to Town opens with a history of the town and an explanation of the strategic military and commercial importance of Gander International Airport. On September 11, DeFede reports that Gander, with a population of approximately 10,000, accepted 38 previously unscheduled planes carrying approximately 6,800 passengers and crew, most of which were stranded there until U.S. airspace reopened nearly a week later. [3] There was an article of stats showing if you break down the number of planes, it equals about 6,500 people. If you are one of those people who rolls your eyes upon hearing ultra-sunny bromides like “There are no such things as strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet,” then The Day the World Came to Town probably is not the book for you. For if there was ever a book that proved the veracity of such statements, it is certainly Jim DeFede’s Christopher Award-winning account of the 6,595 refugees from the sky stranded in Gander, Newfoundland on 11 September 2001. This is an anecdotal account of the the kindness and generosity of the Canadian citizens who without question took passengers into their homes, fed them, transported them, and entertained them. I’m taking it as a positive sign for humanity.In what is, I’m sure, one of the few truly uplifting volumes about 9/11, we meet the ordinary folks, who on a moments notice transformed their town into a giant shelter to welcome the “plane people.” Ganderites offered their cars, food, showers, and beds to the strangers who would soon become honorary “Newfies.” [4] Reception [ edit ] No-one at the airport, or on the island of Gander could have predicted the scale of the emergency that confronted them on September 11, 2001. I enjoyed this made-for-TV movie. Its along the lines of something from Lifetime but is actually a CBC (Canadian) production. There's nothing fancy here but it's still a heartwarming story as the viewer follows various story lines about the passengers and friendships developed over a 4 day period (starting on September 11th, 2001) when 38 planes headed to New York were diverted to Gander Newfoundland, Canada. A town of 9,000 which took in 7,000 passengers until American airspace reopened. For the better part of a week, nearly every man, woman, and child in Gander and the surrounding smaller towns stopped what they were doing so they could help. They placed their lives on hold for a group of strangers and asked for nothing in return. They affirmed the basic goodness of man at a time when it was easy to doubt such humanity still existed."