Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on America. The attacks left 2,977 people dead, and airspace around the United States was shut down for days.
Planes around the U.S. were ordered to land, and inbound planes heading to the United States from other countries were diverted and forced to land in Canada.
According to the 9/11 Legacy Foundation, Canada initiated Operation Yellow Ribbon to manage the flights coming to Canada. There were between 225 and 240 flights that were diverted across 17 airports.
One town, Gander, on the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, took in 38 planes.
At the time, the small town had fewer than 10,000 residents, but welcomed more than 6,500 passengers and crew from around the world.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum shared a story of one passenger who was on a plane from Italy to New York when it was diverted to Gander.
Passengers were forced to stay on the plane for more than 24 hours while security examined the aircraft and the passengers. When they were finally allowed off, the small town and nearby communities didn't have enough hotel space. Local residents stepped up.
"Community television stations put out a call to “lend a hand, do what you can.” Schools and nonessential businesses were closed, allowing Newfoundlanders ranging from senior citizens to schoolchildren to volunteer," the article on the museum's website reads.
Prescriptions for passengers were filled without cost, telephone banks were installed so passengers could call home, and the ice rink was turned into a massive freezer for food.
Passengers were called the “plane people” and stayed for days because airspace didn’t reopen until Sept. 13
"We didn't want to leave. We really were having a great time with those Newfoundlanders," one passenger said, according to the museum.
When the passengers departed, they raised money to create a scholarship for the students in the Gander area. Initially, they had $15,000, which has since grown to more than $1 million.
The story was eventually turned into a hit Broadway musical called "Come From Away." There have also been several documentaries, one of which screened at the Windsor International Film Fest and included a discussion with some of the Newfoundlanders who helped the plane people.
