VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
Opinion: The 9/11 anniversary reflects a deep Canada-U.S. friendship
As the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks coincides with a Canada-U.S. trade war, an editorial recalls the solidarity Canadians showed Americans after the attacks.
The 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre falls in the same week that a trade war has begun between Canada and the United States. The juxtaposition is ironic, this editorial argues, because few events demonstrated the friendship between the two countries as clearly as the terrorist attacks.
Maple Ridge fire chief Dave Samson was a frontline firefighter when he travelled to New York City for the funerals of five firefighters who died in the line of duty that day. He plans to wear a shirt again Friday as an expression of solidarity. His experience reflects the grief felt by Canadians alongside a friend.
Canada accepted 224 diverted planes through Operation Yellow Ribbon. Residents of Gander, N.L., became widely known for opening their homes to stranded passengers and providing food, accommodation and friendship. More than 100,000 Canadians later gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for a vigil and memorial service.
Canadian soldiers joined Americans in the War on Terror in Afghanistan. Canadian firefighters and other emergency responders from communities along the border have also travelled to U.S. cities for memorial services and wreath-laying at the Abbotsford-Sumas and Peace Arch border crossings.
The current trade dispute between the longtime allies has developed into a full trade war and could spiral out of control, closing companies and causing job losses on both sides of the border. Politicians on both sides have made crude comments, alongside insulting memes. Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed what he described as frat-boy comments by supposed leaders as beneath their office.
Polls indicate that fewer than one-third of Canadians see the United States as a dependable partner. The editorial contends that the dispute will not endure and will eventually pass.
Hundreds of people are expected to gather at Peace Arch Park on Sept. 11, as they have for 25 years, to honour those who responded to the attacks. The solemn service will include the Van City Chorus singing both The Star-Spangled Banner and O Canada, as participants remember the tragedy and the friendship expressed in its aftermath.