Where is gander located

With the promise of plentiful cod, a steady flow of immigrants followed. Cod was to Newfoundland as gold was to Victoria. Many years on, a new wave of strangers would arrive by air. On September 11 , as the terror attacks on the US unfolded, thousands of US-bound aircraft were forced to find alternative destinations. Among them were nearly passengers and crew aboard 38 planes who suddenly found themselves in a small town in Newfoundland.

As fate would have it, they were in rock-solid hands. For Captain Bass and her fellow pilots, this remote town was a telling destination.

Yet Gander exists because of that airport. Established in , it was once the biggest airport on the planet. A state of emergency was declared and every school, gymnasium and community centre was transformed into makeshift accommodation. In her loungeroom we pore over photo albums, thank-you cards and letters from that tumultuous time.

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Gander hosted early experiments in aerial refuelling in the late s. This strategic location meant investment and maintenance well after longer-range jets could make the flight without stopping by. Discover Come From Away. As one of the few airports capable of handling the traffic when US air space closed on September 11, , Gander was perfectly positioned to welcome almost 7, newly stranded passengers and their 38 international planes.

Even so, its citizens and Newfoundlanders and Labradorians up and down the Kittiwake Coast opened their homes and hearts to these strangers from all over the world. These travellers found warm beds and home-cooked meals during a truly terrifying time.

And now the kindness and hospitality shown to visitors has become the basis for the Tony-award winning Broadway musical Come From Away. Everywhere you can imagine, people just offering you food and drink. And so began one of the unlikeliest and most heartwarming stories to come out of this dark period of recent history. Incredible welcome. Tuerff and the other thousands of displaced air travelers were welcomed with open arms by the residents of Gander, invited into their homes, clothed, fed and looked after.

It's this story that's dramatized in "Come From Away" and Tuerff -- who spoke extensively with the writers about his experiences, as well as passing on his video footage -- said his overwhelming takeaway from the experience was "mindblowing compassion. But they did. Aircraft also ended up in military and civilian airports across Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and British Columbia. The population of the town almost doubled over the several days.

Kevin Tuerff, pictured, saw his experiences in Gander dramatized on stage in the hugely successful show "Come From Away. Elliott said that, as mayor, the decision to welcome the displaced people with open arms went without saying.

It's just about human decency -- and that's the message he wants audiences of "Come From Away" to take home. Both he and Tuerff say it's surreal to see actors play them on stage, but incredible to see the story's message of hope and compassion go global.

In "Come From Away" a cast of 12 play multiple roles -- from the Gander residents including Elliott, to the "plane people" -- as they were nicknamed, including Kevin T. As the actors seamlessly switch character simply by adding a piece of clothing and changing their accent, the multiple role-playing only enhances the show's message of universal humanity. Tuerff has returned to Gander a few times -- first for the 10th anniversary. It was then that he met the show's Toronto-based husband-and-wife writer team, Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who were developing the book, music and lyrics.

Later, Tuerff returned with the show in , as things came full circle. He never stays in a hotel. Tuerff said he's always invited to stay at the family home of the former administrator of Gander's Community College, Mac Moss, who he met that week in On a more recent visit to Gander, Tuerff -- who also wrote a book about his experiences -- met some Syrian refugee families who'd recently been taken in by the Gander community. That shows that Gander's welcoming spirit of tolerance remains intact, said Tuerff.

Tourism growth. The global success of Come From Away -- which also premiered in Australia in -- has had other effects.