ST. JOHN’S — Each September, Sue Riccardelli and her wife, Maureen Murray, display a large flag combining Canada’s Maple Leaf and America’s Stars and Stripes outside their home in New Jersey. This flag serves as a tribute to the people of central Newfoundland who showed extraordinary kindness to them and over 6,500 other passengers when 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, following the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.

The couple views the flag as a symbol of the strong ties that exist between Canada and the United States. In light of strained relations between the two countries last year, they began bringing the flag to local performances of “Come From Away,” a musical that recounts the experiences of stranded passengers and the Gander community's generosity during those trying days.

Riccardelli, 65, and Murray, 67, are part of a group of Americans planning to return to Gander for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a tragic event that had long-lasting effects on both nations. They expressed their dismay at the treatment of Canada by the U.S. government and intend to raise their flag as a message of love and solidarity, emphasizing that not all Americans share their government's views.

“As Americans, our country was at war, we were far away from home, and here were these people — Canadians, people from Gander — who just gave us their all,” Riccardelli stated in a recent video interview. She continued, “That’s what the message needs to be, that Americans are not Trump, Americans are not this government; we are Americans who love Canada.”

The decline in U.S.-Canada relations began escalating last year when President Donald Trump issued threats regarding potential annexation and tariffs on Canadian goods. Tensions culminated in a trade war when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney exited negotiations with the U.S., leading to Trump imposing 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of Canadian exports, to which Carney responded with retaliatory measures.

Kerry Derringer-Cashin was traveling home to New Jersey from Dublin when the hijacking of planes occurred on September 11, 2001. Her flight was the first to land in Gander as U.S. airspace was closed. Passengers remained onboard for hours, unaware of the gravity of the situation, until they were escorted into the small Gander airport, where they were greeted with sandwiches offered by locals.

Local school bus drivers even halted a planned labour strike to assist in transporting the diverted passengers, or “plane people,” to churches, schools, and community centers across the area. Derringer-Cashin arrived in Glenwood, about 20 kilometers west of Gander, early on September 12, where she and fellow stranded travelers were welcomed into a church with cots and blankets for the night.

Residents set up televisions for the passengers to watch news updates about the attacks, offered phones and computers to help them contact family members, and extended invitations for showers in their homes. The collective kindness from the Gander community left a profound impact on Derringer-Cashin. “I’m hoping that the message (of care and kindness) still somehow comes through,” she remarked about the upcoming anniversary, lamenting the current state of U.S.-Canada relations. “People always say here, ‘I wish it was September 12 again,’ because that’s when everybody in America came together and put their differences aside.”

Riccardelli and Murray, who found themselves grounded in Gander during their return from France on 9/11, have developed enduring friendships within the community and have made multiple trips back since that day. They first displayed their flag at a “Come From Away” performance in Morristown, New Jersey, a few months after Trump’s inauguration, which began a series of threats towards Canada.

During one performance, Riccardelli took a brave step by standing and unfurling the flag, ultimately eliciting thunderous applause from the audience. Murray emphasized the broader nature of Canada’s response when U.S. airspace was closed, stating, “This was a Canada-wide effort to shelter people during this really hard time, to support them and support our country.”

This year’s anniversary serves as a poignant reminder of the solidarity and humanity that emerged from global tragedy, even amidst the current tumultuous diplomatic landscape between the two nations.