Gander’s 9/11 Hospitality Inspires Tony-Winning Musical and Ongoing Global Tribute
When 38 flights were forced to land in Gander after 9/11, the town rallied to house thousands of strangers, a story later dramatized in the Tony-winning musical Come From Away.
On September 11, 2001, the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland, became an unexpected landing site for 38 grounded planes, bringing roughly 7,000 travelers to its 12,000-person population. Mayor Claude Elliott announced a state of emergency and mobilized churches, schools and the community centre’s ice rink to serve as shelters and refrigeration for food supplies. Residents such as Beulah Cooper volunteered by providing meals, shuttling passengers to pay phones and even offering her home for rest and showers.
The collective effort inspired the musical Come From Away, which debuted on Broadway in 2017, won a Tony Award and has since toured globally. Gander now hosts a summer professional production starring local talent like Peter Halley, and the town’s aviation museum displays thank-you notes and Twin-Tower steel beams as reminders of the crisis. The story continues to attract visitors, reinforcing the town’s reputation for hospitality.
Why it matters
It shows how a small community’s compassion during a crisis can inspire lasting cultural works and global goodwill.
In this story
