Tag Canada

A Walk on the World’s Longest Trail

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

We were hiking the Matthews Head trail near Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, when the sign informed us we were on the Trans Canada Trail, the longest trail in the world. If we kept going, we could end up on the Arctic Ocean coastline. Or the Pacific Coast.

But we would need more than hiking shoes. Skis, snowshoes, kayaks, bicycles, and even horses could help us complete the 16,700 miles from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia.

Filmmaker Dianna Whelan, her effort spread over six years, was the first to complete the trail.

For now, Sue and I will stick to slightly shorter pursuits.

Gander: A Name You Won’t Forget

Reg Spittle 1 Comment


Have you been bitten by cynicism? This book may be your cure.

In an uplifting and heartwarming story, Jim DeFede takes us to Gander, Newfoundland, to show how one Canadian town responded to an unexpected crisis on September 11, 2001.

With little time to prepare, the town of 10,000 grew by 6,800 people who were aboard 38 commercial flights that were forced to divert from American destinations to Gander International Airport. With American air space shut down after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C., passengers were kept aboard planes on Gander’s tarmac for up to 24 hours until officials figured out how to ensure more terrorists were not aboard the 38 planes.

In The Day the World Came to Town, Defede describes how the strength of human spirit and compassion opened the Canadian community to thousands who all preferred to be somewhere else. When they emerged from the planes tired, hungry, and confused by the September 11 events, the passengers and airline staff were greeted by a selfless community that redefined hospitality.

For nearly a week, the locals provided beds, showers, food, rides, clothes, medications, computers, televisions, and emotional support. Special meals were prepared for those with various dietary restrictions. Locals crawled into the cargo areas of jumbo jets to care for frightened and hungry animals, including two rare monkeys.

Hundreds of interviews led the author to anecdotes about passengers from many countries and walks of life. There was the head of the Rockefeller Foundation, who was so taken by the community that the foundation donated a new computer lab to a Gander school.

And Hannah and Dennis O’Rourke, whose son was one of the missing firefighters at the World Trade Center. A Russian immigrant family was on their way to new lives in Seattle. An American couple was returning with their newly adopted child.

Gander, the easternmost airport in North America, hadn’t seen such intense activity since World War II, when it hosted thousands of military planes and troops headed to Europe.

Most passengers were allowed to leave within a week and when they left, many felt like they were leaving family. Some have remained in touch with their Canadian hosts.

Thousands of innocent people, including the O’Rourke’s son Kevin, died in the September 11 attacks. The Day the World Came to Town digs deep to bring us intriguing stories about people who exuded greatness in response to evil.