Overview
"For the better part of a week, nearly every man, woman, and child in Gander and the surrounding smaller towns stopped what they were doing so they could help. They placed their lives on hold for a group of strangers and asked for nothing in return. They affirmed the basic goodness of man at a time when it was easy to doubt such humanity still existed". When thirty-eight jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001, due to the closing of United States airspace, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000.
The citizens of this small community were called upon to come to the aid of more than six thousand displaced travelers. Their response was truly extraordinary. Hundreds of people put their names on a list to take passengers into their homes and give them a chance to get cleaned up and relax. Members of a local animal protection agency crawled into the jets' cargo holds to feed and care for all of the animals on the flights.
The Day the World Came to Town is a positively heartwarming account of the citizens of Gander and its surrounding communities and the unexpected guests who were welcomed with exemplary kindness.