Canada–U.S. relations on display during 9/11 memorial
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/09/2022 (1257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
BOISSEVAIN — Dignitaries representing Canada and the United States gathered at the southern border over the weekend to remember those who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which occurred exactly 21 years ago Sunday.
This year’s remembrance ceremony at the International Peace Garden featured around 100 or so people, including high-ranking government officials such as Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.
Even though the memory of that day on Sept. 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 people were killed in a series of attacks co-ordinated by the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda, remains painful for many, several of Sunday’s speakers focused on how the tragedy brought the U.S. and Canada closer together.
Stefanson reminded the crowd how many flights were diverted to Canadian cities, such as Winnipeg, in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, where four hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and a field in Pennsylvania.
“All levels of government, private citizens and community organizations worked together to find accommodations for the passengers and ease their eventual return home,” the premier said. “Many Canadians opened their homes and their hearts during these painful early days, including Manitobans eager to help our American neighbours.”
Sunday’s ceremony also featured military representatives from both sides of the border, including members of the Minot Air Force Base Honor Guard, and CFB Shilo Chaplain David (Euikyun) Chang, who said an opening prayer.
While the war in Afghanistan that followed the 9/11 attacks officially ended last summer, U.S. Consul Brian Koontz said Canada and America must continue to work together to secure the safety of its citizenship.
“The threat of terrorism and violent extremism remains, demanding our diligence and preparedness,” Koontz said.
“Security threats have continued to evolve significantly in the last 21 years, and they will continue to evolve in the future. We must stand ready to confront them together.”
Former Manitoba chief of protocol Dwight MacAulay highlighted the International Peace Garden’s physical 9/11 memorial, which serves as another example of Canada-U.S. collaboration immediately following the attacks.
Shortly after the World Trade Center was reduced to rubble, MacAulay had the idea of transporting some debris from Ground Zero to the International Peace Garden to honour those who perished during the attacks.
Through working with some New York City first responders, MacAulay managed to load 10 pieces of debris onto a train, transport it all the way to Brandon and finally place it at the International Peace Garden near Boissevain.
“Once word got around that the debris was here … I remember people were telling me that people were finding this debris and they were weeping, and they were often praying and climbing on the debris,” he said. “It had that much of an emotional impact on people who came to the International Peace Garden.”
The site’s 9/11 memorial was finally given some shape in 2002 thanks to former International Peace Garden president Charlie Thomsen, who arranged the pieces in a haphazard formation to remind people of the tragedy that took place thousands of kilometres away.
As a result, Thomsen said, the 9/11 memorial site has received thousands of visitors over the past two decades, making it a perfect display for the 2,500-acre garden that’s meant to serve as a symbol of the peaceful coexistence between Canada and the U.S.
“So we’re not going to change it,” he said, standing in front of the memorial. “We will improve the planting around it over the years and things will be taken care of to maintain it.”
Sunday’s ceremony also included an appearance from Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk and a letter from Brandon–Souris MLA Larry Maguire that was read aloud by International Peace Garden chief executive officer Tim Chapman.
» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson