Chrétien says Canada bows to no one in fiery address at 9/11 commemoration

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien drew a standing ovation inside a Gander, N.L., hockey arena on Friday as he delivered a pointed message to American leaders during a ceremony marking the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, 25 years ago.

The 92-year-old warned Americans never to mistake Canadian generosity for weakness, nor its kindness for softness.

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra looked on as Chrétien insisted his pointed words were a sign of friendship. Friends tell each other the truth, he said.

“We embraced our friends and we helped them in their moment of need, but we bow to no one,” Chretien said, as the crowd erupted again.

“The more we are threatened and abused, the more we will stand up for ourselves, and stand united.”

“Vive les États-Unis, et vive le Canada!” he boomed, as the crowd stood up, some taking off their hats to wave them in the air.

Thirty-eight planes carrying more than 6,500 passengers were grounded in Gander, N.L., on Sept. 11, 2001, after hijackers took command of four aircraft and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania. People in Gander dropped everything to fill churches and community halls with cots, food and clothing, and they cared for the passengers for days.

Their response became a symbol of Canada’s embrace of the United States after a horrific attack that killed nearly 3,000 people and changed the world forever.

Guests at Friday’s ceremony included some of the passengers who were cared for in Gander and its surrounding communities for days, and several speakers said the event was partly to welcome them home.

Government representatives including Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour and federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson spoke of the long-standing partnership between Canada and the United States, but only Chrétien spoke directly to the countries’ deteriorating relationship.

“Yes, Canada is a generous, open country, and Canadians are tolerant and kind,” said Chrétien. “But never mistake our generosity for weakness. Never, never mistake our tolerance for lack of determination. And never, never, mistake our kindness for softness.”

The crowd applauded generously for speakers’ polite mentions of unity and compassion across boundaries, but it was Chrétien’s fiery missive that had them springing out of their seats. His was the last speech of the two-hour-long service.

Hoekstra did not directly mention the strained relations between Canada and his country and the ongoing dispute over tariffs, trade and sovereignty. He opened his speech saying he was in his office, talking to asparagus farmers when he first learned about the planes that had struck the World Trade Center in New York City.

Gander’s care for Americans on 9/11 proved to the world that “good will win” even on days of tragedy, Hoekstra said.

“Once more, we say thank you,” the ambassador said. “As a representative of the United States government, thank you to the people of Gander. Thank you for your friendship.… To the nation of Canada: thank you. Thank you for being a partner.”

When Chrétien finished his speech, Hoekstra walked over and gave him a hug. A spokesperson said the ambassador was not available to speak to reporters and respond to Chrétien’s remarks.

“It was a wonderful program,” said Becca Archer-Knepper in an email. “We refer you to his remarks from the program and his interaction with the former (prime minister) after the program.”

Later Friday, Hoekstra took in a production at a local arts centre of “Come From Away,” the Broadway hit musical that chronicles how the town hosted the stranded travellers.

He would not respond to questions about Chretien’s speech as he arrived, but said the day’s event was a “wonderful ceremony for 9/11.”

But Michael Rubinoff, the originating producer of the show who also attended the local performance, said Chrétien “really met the moment” during the ceremony.

“It really moved the audience. I know it really moved me,” said Rubinoff.

In Banff, Alta., Prime Minister Mark Carney also paid tribute to the victims of 9/11, saying Canadians stand with their American neighbours in mourning, remembrance and solidarity.

“This dark moment also brought forth some of our best nature — firefighters climbing the stairs to rescue those in burning buildings, rescue workers working for weeks to bring closure,” Carney said.

Percy Farwell, the mayor of Gander, told the crowd that the day was about remembering those who died and suffered, but also about the humanity that emerged 25 years ago.

“Let’s not forget our obligations to each other and the power we each have to truly make a difference in a sometimes broken world,” he said.

Ceremonies were also held across the country, from the International Peace Garden on a remote stretch of the prairies to the nation’s capital.

Erika Olson, U.S. deputy chief of mission in Canada, said at a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa that Sept. 11, 2001, was her second day working in the U.S. diplomatic service. She said it’s the responsibility of the people who were alive during the attacks to continue to tell future generations the story of that day and those that followed, to emphasize the importance of public service.

“There’s no higher calling than what you all do here in serving your nation, our nations, our communities and our people,” Olson said.

Roberto Abril, a former New York fire department paramedic, was among Sept. 11 first responders who were at a commemorative event at the Peace Arch memorial on the border between Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Wash.

Abril, whose paramedic partner died in the attack, said he had now attended four services at the arch, and he was surprised how Canadians and Americans alike in the region “opened their hearts to us, as if we are a family.”

At the International Peace Garden, a park straddling the Canada-U.S. border at Manitoba and North Dakota, firefighters from across southern Manitoba marched to the skirl of a bagpipe.

Salvaged beams from the World Trade Center sit in the garden as part of a permanent memorial to the attacks.

“Lord, as we stand along this quiet border, where two nations meet not in division, but in shared purpose, we thank you for that unbreakable bond,” said 1st Lt. J. Nathan Haugen with the U.S. air force.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.

–With files from Ian Bickis in Boissevain, Man., Darryl Greer in Surrey, B.C., David Baxter in Ottawa, and Kyle Duggan in Banff, Alta.

By Sarah Smellie | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.