Amid trade tensions, Americans visiting Gander for 9/11 distance themselves from their president

Amid trade tensions, Americans visiting Gander for 9/11 distance themselves from their president

An anniversary event focusing on kindness and compassion is hindered by fractured U.S.-Canada relations

The theme was kindness and compassion during a 9/11 anniversary commemoration ceremony at the College of the North Atlantic campus in Gander, N.L., on Thursday.

But the sharp rhetoric being directed at Canada from American leaders, along with an escalating trade war, also bubbled beneath the surface.

“We are heartbroken. I am sad," Sue Riccardelli of New Jersey said of the behaviour toward Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his leadership team.

"Most Americans do not represent the administration. Americans at home love the Canadians. They know what Canadians have done, not only on 9/11, but the strong relationship we’ve had forever.”

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"I feel like the new administration is not about kindness so much. I feel like I have to keep apologizing to my Canadian friends," added Karry Derringer Cashin, also of New Jersey.

Riccardelli and Derringer Cashin were among a handful of Americans who assembled at the college campus to highlight the successes of a charity called Pay It Forward 9/11, which was established in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

The charity urges people to perform acts of kindness in honour of those who perished in the attacks, and much like the hit musical Come From Away, has become a global phenomenon inspired by Newfoundland and Labrador's response to the terrorist attacks.

The charity was founded by Kevin Tuerff on the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as a way of encouraging the same type of kindness that he received after his flight from Paris to New York was diverted to Gander.

Tuerff said the "ripple effect" of the charity has resulted in millions of good deeds around the world, ranging from buying lunch for a construction crew to donating food and clothing to a homeless shelter.

All the stories of kindness and compassion that emerged during Thursday's ceremony, however, were told amid an undercurrent of tension.

Insults and sovereignty threats

Trump has repeatedly threatened Canadian sovereignty and hurled insults at his political counterparts north of the border as he continues to escalate a trade war between two countries that have longstanding links, both economically and strategically.

In his concluding remarks, Tuerff referred to the tension as the "elephant in the room" and received a thunderous applause from the audience of 100 people when he said "Americans love Canadians."

Later, Tuerff told reporters that he's embarrassed by the rhetoric emerging from Washington.

"I believe you treat your neighbours like the golden rule, which is what I witnessed here [25 years ago]. It is embarrassing as an American to see and hear the words coming out of our federal government," he said.

Tuerff and others at the event expressed hope that relations between the two countries will improve in the future.

“This is a blip. We’re going to get that relationship back," said Maureen Murray, who's making her 11th visit back to Gander since being stranded in the town 25 years ago.

Terry Roberts is a reporter with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John’s. He previously worked for the Telegram, the Compass and the Northern Pen newspapers during a career that began in 1991. He can be reached by email at Terry.Roberts@cbc.ca.