Every Friday evening, Steve Badcock pours himself a drink and flips open his laptop to video chat with a close friend he met because of a terrorist attack in New York City and its ripple effect across the skies.

It often takes a few tries to connect B次元官网网址� internet can be sketchy in the rural Newfoundland community of Gambo, where Badcock lives and where his friend Steven OB次元官网网址橦ehir arrived on a school bus after his flight to Cincinnati was diverted to central Newfoundland on Sept. 11, 2001.

This past Friday, after a few more failed attempts than usual, OB次元官网网址橦ehir suddenly filled the screen, beaming in from his home in Winchester, England, laughing and making wisecracks while proudly displaying his Newfoundland T-shirt.

The day 20 years ago that began with two hijacked planes flying into the World Trade Center in Manhattan caused B次元官网网址渟o much misery and so much sadness for so many people,B次元官网网址� OB次元官网网址橦ehir said. B次元官网网址淚t changed the world.B次元官网网址�

But for OB次元官网网址橦ehir, thereB次元官网网址檚 something else. B次元官网网址淭o me, it means 20 years of friendship that just came out of the blue, that one never expected,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 found a family, I found a home, I found a place that absolutely touches you in the heart. It was just an amazing experience. It changed my life.B次元官网网址�

OB次元官网网址橦ehir was among more than 6,500 passengers on 38 planes diverted to the airport in Gander, N.L., that day when air traffic was shut down. Badcock is a senior architectural technologist with the Canadian Forces base at the Gander airport, and he watched in astonishment through his office window as the planes landed.

B次元官网网址淭hey just kept coming out of the sky, it was crazy,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭o see so much international traffic B次元官网网址� you knew it was something quite serious.B次元官网网址�

The people of Gander came together in an effort B次元官网网址� now immortalized in the 2017 Broadway musical B次元官网网址淐ome From AwayB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� to feed, clothe and house the B次元官网网址減lane people,B次元官网网址� as they were called, for the several days they were stranded. But with a population of about 11,250, there were only so many places available in Gander and the town quickly ran out of room. About 1,000 plane people, OB次元官网网址橦ehir included, were bused to Gambo, a small town about 40 minutes away from Gander. Others went to neighbouring communities such as Norris Arm and Appleton.

Barbara Pritchett lives in Gambo, but she was in Manhattan when the planes hit the Twin Towers.

B次元官网网址淚 called my mother. Finally I got through, and I said, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e fine, weB次元官网网址檙e all safe, weB次元官网网址檙e in the hotel.B次元官网网址� And I said, B次元官网网址楤ut mom, thereB次元官网网址檚 no one in the streets, you just canB次元官网网址檛 believe it, thereB次元官网网址檚 no one here,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Pritchett said. B次元官网网址淎nd she said, B次元官网网址楴o, because theyB次元官网网址檙e all in Gambo!B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址�

Pritchett said her mother was watching all kinds of people sheB次元官网网址檇 never seen before walk by her window B次元官网网址� an unheard of occurrence in the town of fewer than 2,000 people.

Most of GamboB次元官网网址檚 residents went immediately to work, setting up beds wherever they could fit and cooking huge pots of soups and stews to feed everyone. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no hotels here,B次元官网网址� Pritchett said. B次元官网网址淭hey stayed at the Lions Club centre, they stayed in church halls, they stayed in the school gymnasium, they stayed in peopleB次元官网网址檚 houses B次元官网网址� the shock they must have felt because they had no outside information. It took a long time to have telephones hooked up, it took a while to get televisions running.B次元官网网址�

Once people were able to talk to their families, their fears began to ease, Pritchett said. B次元官网网址淭here were people skinny dipping here in the river,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think everyone relaxed and said, B次元官网网址楲etB次元官网网址檚 just enjoy it.B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址�

Two years ago, Pritchett co-wrote a dinner theatre production, called B次元官网网址淛ust Imagine,B次元官网网址� about GamboB次元官网网址檚 experience taking in all these displaced people. Carol Anne Loveless, who welcomed people into her Gander hair salon during that time, co-wrote the show and directs it. The wait list for tickets to see the production in Gambo is weeks long.

B次元官网网址淲hen the B次元官网网址楥ome From AwayB次元官网网址� musical came out, everyone realized that it was a spectacular thing that we did,B次元官网网址� Pritchett said. B次元官网网址淲e just really didnB次元官网网址檛 kind of think that it was that spectacular at the time.B次元官网网址�

Loveless agreed: B次元官网网址淚t was something that we would do anyway.B次元官网网址� And theyB次元官网网址檇 do it again without question, both said.

Badcock, too, is nonchalant about his communityB次元官网网址檚 massive efforts to care for hundreds of strangers. After he saw what had happened in New York City, he asked for a few days off so he could volunteer at the church in Gambo where about 120 people, including OB次元官网网址橦ehir, were staying. People were afraid and confused, he figured, and the more locals there to ease their worries, the better.

BadcockB次元官网网址檚 father was also helping out and happened to notice the book OB次元官网网址橦ehir was reading. One chat led to another and suddenly OB次元官网网址橦ehir and Steven Badcock were discussing the history of the First World War and OB次元官网网址橦ehirB次元官网网址檚 recent trip to Beaumont Hamel, in France. B次元官网网址淗e just happened to be on the same cemetery that my great uncle was buried in,B次元官网网址� Badcock said.

TheyB次元官网网址檝e been close friends ever since. OB次元官网网址橦ehir returned to Gambo in 2009 and they put 3,000 kilometres on BadcockB次元官网网址檚 truck touring around the province. Since then, theyB次元官网网址檝e gone on regular trips together with their wives, Badcock said. Their next destination is Greece, as long as the COVID-19 pandemic allows it.

B次元官网网址淪ince 9/11, we found that when weB次元官网网址檙e in an airport, the faceless masses you see, we kind of look at them differently,B次元官网网址� Badcock said. B次元官网网址淲e wonder if thereB次元官网网址檚 a connection there, because we obviously made one with people we never expected to meet.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擲arah Smellie, The Canadian Press