London, Gander, Reston, Rexton: 25 years of Operation Yellow Ribbon
by Sophia Shelley, guest writer
Twenty-five years ago, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a small Canadian town put its own lives on hold to help thousands of stranded travelers.
Following the attacks, 38 aircraft bound for the United States were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. Once an important refueling stop for transatlantic flights, the town of about 9,000 residents suddenly faced an influx of approximately 6,600 passengers and crew from around the world. Residents had just hours to prepare for an increase of nearly 70% in their population.
Over the next five days, Gander residents worked nearly around the clock as passengers waited for U.S. airspace to reopen. They prepared meals, provided shelter, helped travelers contact their families and did whatever they could to assist people caught in an extraordinary situation.
Out of the tragedy came remarkable stories of compassion. In 2017, many of them were brought to the stage in the Broadway musical "Come From Away." The title refers to the nickname given to the stranded travelers, known locally as "come-from-aways." The musical recounts Operation Yellow Ribbon, Canada's effort to accommodate diverted flights, while bringing to life the personal stories and extraordinary kindness that emerged from the crisis.
In November 2025, production rights to "Come From Away" became available to theater groups in the United States and Canada. The timing gave high school theater companies across Northern Virginia an opportunity to add the musical to their seasons as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approached. For some, the story has a particularly personal connection.
Reston resident Tom Shelley was aboard Virgin Atlantic Flight 21 from London to Washington, D.C. A British national, Shelley was traveling alone ahead of his move to Northern Virginia. About four hours into the flight, the pilot announced an unscheduled landing in Canada. The reason did not initially seem unusual. It was only after landing in Gander that Shelley began to realize something was wrong.
With the small airport unable to accommodate so many passengers at once, many travelers remained aboard their planes for nearly 24 hours before being allowed to disembark.
While Shelley waited, Gander residents were already mobilizing. Earlier that morning, music teacher Mark Thibeault had used a free period at Gander Academy to pick up supplies for his classroom. While at the store, a woman rushed in and asked the clerk to turn on the television. Thibeault saw the attacks unfolding in New York and immediately returned to school to alert the principal.
"I don't know why, but I said it may be significant for us in Gander," Thibeault recalled.
He was right. Shortly after he returned, school staff learned that Gander Academy would be among the facilities converted into temporary shelters for passengers from the diverted flights.
That afternoon, bus drivers suspended an ongoing strike to help transport passengers and get children home safely. The military mobilized at the school to move desks and set up sleeping cots, while teachers and other residents, including Thibeault, gathered the supplies thousands of unexpected guests would need.
When Shelley was finally allowed off the plane, he was given an airplane blanket and a place to sleep on the floor of the academy's art room. Thibeault and his wife, Karen, who was then a third-grade teacher, joined the effort to help passengers in whatever ways they could.
After his first day at the school, Shelley approached a volunteer and offered to help. The volunteer directed him to Thibeault, and the two began working together as "gophers," picking up supplies and driving around Gander in Thibeault's old Pathfinder. At the end of the day, Thibeault invited Shelley to his home for a shower and a cup of tea.
What began as a practical gesture of hospitality developed into a lasting friendship. The generosity Shelley encountered during Operation Yellow Ribbon has stayed with both men 25 years later.
Thibeault has since moved to the village of Rexton, but he vividly remembers the generosity shown by Gander residents. One encounter, in particular, remains with him.
"We were asked to go to this apartment building. We walked up the stairs and into the corridor and there was the wonderful smell of baked bread. We went into this woman's apartment and it was very, very plain, but she had 12 loaves of bread with butter glaze on the top. And she said, 'I've made these for the passengers.'"
"She didn't really have much to give," Thibeault said. "But that [generosity] was the epitome of what this was all about."
For Shelley, whose journey to Northern Virginia began with an unexpected detour, the experience remains a lasting reminder of human kindness.
"In a moment of great anguish for so many people, the hospitality that was shown by the people of Gander was such a counterpoint to the reason that we were there. A nation and a culture under attack, and yet we saw the true good in people from the lengths that they went to to make these complete strangers feel loved. Thank you."
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