Le jour où le ciel s’est vidé : le Canada face au 11 septembre | The Walrus

This episode of Canadian Time Machine marks the 25th anniversary of Canada's response to the September 11 attacks, when U.S. airspace closed and more than 200 international flights carrying roughly 33,000 passengers were diverted to Canadian airports under what became known as Operation Yellow Ribbon. Kathy Fox, then a senior NAV CANADA official overseeing air traffic control operations nationwide, recounts the scramble to land hundreds of aircraft safely with little notice.

National security expert Stephanie Carvin also discusses the aftermath: a transformed border, new anti-terrorism laws, and a lasting shift in how Canada approached security. Communities including Gander, Newfoundland, which took in 37 flights, became known for their hospitality to stranded travelers, a story later dramatized in the musical Come From Away.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.