At a 25th-anniversary ceremony in Gander, Newfoundland, former prime minister Jean Chrétien warned the United States, "Never mistake our generosity for weakness," honoring the town that sheltered nearly 6,600 passengers after 38 planes were diverted on Sept. 11, 2001. Residents converted schools and churches into shelters and provided food, medicine and housing to the "plane people," a response later dramatized in the musical Come From Away. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and survivors praised Gander's compassion, while Chrétien reminded listeners that Canadian kindness should not be mistaken for softness amid ongoing Canada–U.S. tensions.
Jean Chrétien to U.S.: “Never Mistake Our Generosity for Weakness” — Gander Remembers 9/11
Former prime minister Jean Chretien speaks at the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, in Gander, N.L., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Paul Daly /The Canadian Press via AP)(Paul Daly/The Canadian Press via AP)
GANDER, Newfoundland — Standing in the town that famously sheltered thousands of stranded Americans after the Sept. 11 attacks, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien used the 25th-anniversary ceremony to issue a pointed reminder to the United States:
"Never mistake our generosity for weakness."
The 92-year-old former prime minister, who led Canada at the time of the attacks, received a standing ovation after addressing his "American friends," stressing that Canadians can be tolerant and kind but that "we bow to no one." U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra later rose, embraced Chrétien and joined the applause.
"I say that not in anger, but as one friend to another," Chrétien added. "Friends need to be honest with each other." His unusually direct remarks came during a solemn event to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in New York, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93, and to recall Gander's remarkable humanitarian response.
United States Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, left, and Canadian Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson listen as former prime minister Jean Chretien, speaks at the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, in Gander, N.L., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Paul Daly /The Canadian Press via AP)(Paul Daly/The Canadian Press via AP)
On Sept. 11, 2001, 38 planes carrying more than 6,500 passengers and crew were diverted to the eastern Newfoundland town when U.S. airspace was closed, bringing nearly 6,600 stranded travelers to a community that almost doubled its population overnight. Residents of Gander and nearby communities converted schools, churches and meeting halls into shelters, supplied food and medicine, and welcomed strangers into their homes. The stranded travelers became known locally as the "plane people." The story later inspired the hit Broadway musical Come From Away, and passengers and locals have returned for reunions in the years since.
Among those who spoke was Raphael Fusco, who was 17 when his flight from Milan to Newark was diverted. "So while the rest of the world was seeing these horrific images, we saw something very different," he said. "We saw extraordinary kindness." Chrétien praised that response as emblematic of "the Canadian way."
"They also opened their hearts. When our friends are in trouble, we don't hesitate. We act."
Ambassador Hoekstra also thanked Gander and Canada for standing with Americans then and since. His warm reception was notable because his participation had been criticized in advance; Gander officials defended inviting him, saying the ceremony was not an endorsement of any administration. "September 11 is bigger than politics, personalities or titles," the town said.
United States Ambassador Pete Hoekstra speaks at the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, in Gander, N.L., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Paul Daly /The Canadian Press via AP)(Paul Daly/The Canadian Press via AP)
The ceremony took place against a tense backdrop in Canada–U.S. relations. Recent trade disputes and political rhetoric have strained the long-standing alliance, and Chrétien warned Canada's generosity should not be misread as submission. "Never mistake our tolerance for lack of determination," he said. "And never, never mistake our kindness for softness." He added that building a country in Canada’s climate and geography is a sign of toughness, not weakness.
Chrétien also recalled the two countries' shared sacrifices after 9/11, including joint military efforts in Afghanistan, and noted that 165 Canadians died in that campaign, including 158 members of the Canadian Armed Forces. "We embrace our friends and we help them in their moment of need, but we bow to no one," he said. "And the more we are insulted, threatened and abused, the more we will stand up for ourselves and stand united."
Hoekstra, who said his parents were liberated in the Netherlands by Allied forces that included Canadians during World War II, echoed the theme of shared sacrifice: "We stood side by side." Chrétien closed by calling for a restoration of mutual respect between the neighbors: "Respect, friendship and good neighbors. Long live the United States and long live Canada."
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