Story perspectives

Petition Slams Hoekstra’s Sept. 11 Gander Invitation

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 2:05 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hoekstra Accepts Gander Invitation

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra accepted an invitation to the September 11 anniversary ceremony in Gander.
The invitation prompted a petition that gathered nearly 270,000 signatures.
Gander town council defended the invitation, citing protocol and honoring the 3,000 victims.
The ceremony will feature Governor General Louise Arbour and Ambassador Hoekstra amid mixed sentiment.

Summary

Gander Manages Diversions

Gander Airport received over 225 diverted flights, including 38 jumbo jets, four aircraft, and 6,900 passengers.
Controllers managed diversions for four hours and ordered some planes to dump fuel over the Atlantic.
Airport now operates two runways—10,200 ft and 8,900 ft—down from four runways used in World War II.
Pan Am launched its northern Atlantic service via Gander and Ireland on June 24, 1939, months before World War II.

History

Historical Context

In June 1939 Pan Am launched a northern Atlantic service that stopped at Gander Airport, part of its broader push to open trans-Atlantic routes just before World War II. The town’s long-runway capacity later handled 225 diverted flights and 38 jumbo jets after the September 11 2001 attacks, a legacy that still shapes diplomatic sensitivities such as the recent invitation by U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to a commemoration ceremony.

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Hoekstra Accepts Gander Invitation

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra accepted an invitation to the September 11 anniversary ceremony in Gander.
The invitation prompted a petition that gathered nearly 270,000 signatures.
Gander town council defended the invitation, citing protocol and honoring the 3,000 victims.
The ceremony will feature Governor General Louise Arbour and Ambassador Hoekstra amid mixed sentiment.

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