[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 286 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 286

 Recognizing, on the occasion of the 52nd annual meeting of the Canada-
   United States Inter-Parliamentary Group in September, 2011 in St. 
John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the immeasurable assistance 
    Gander International Airport, the Government of Canada, and the 
 citizens of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, provided to the United 
States immediately following the terrorist attacks on the United States 
                         on September 11, 2001.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 31, 2011

Ms. Slaughter submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing, on the occasion of the 52nd annual meeting of the Canada-
   United States Inter-Parliamentary Group in September, 2011 in St. 
John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the immeasurable assistance 
    Gander International Airport, the Government of Canada, and the 
 citizens of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, provided to the United 
States immediately following the terrorist attacks on the United States 
                         on September 11, 2001.

Whereas the United States Federal Aviation Administration ordered United States 
        airspace closed at 9:45 EDT, and all United States-bound flights were 
        ordered to land at the nearest airport;
Whereas immediately following the closure of United States airspace, Transport 
        Canada ordered the closure of Canadian airports except for outgoing 
        police, military, and humanitarian flights, and incoming Canada and 
        United States bound international flights;
Whereas this marked the first occasion that either the United States or Canada 
        closed its airspace;
Whereas Transport Canada initiated Operation Yellow Ribbon following the closure 
        of the United States airspace to handle the diversion of civilian 
        airline flights bound for the United States;
Whereas the purpose of Operation Yellow Ribbon was to remove all air traffic 
        from United States airspace and away from potential United States 
        targets as quickly as possible to minimize further terrorist threats;
Whereas NAV CANADA, Canada's civil air navigation services provider, recorded 
        239 aircraft destined for the United States and Canada landing safely in 
        17 airports in Canada;
Whereas Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed more airline passengers than any 
        other province, with 13,000 stranded individuals;
Whereas about half of the 75 aircraft that landed in Newfoundland in fact landed 
        at Gander International Airport, which is known to airline pilots around 
        the world as the lifeboat of the Atlantic and is the first North 
        American airport on the trans-Atlantic route;
Whereas before the terrorist attacks, Gander International Airport was scheduled 
        to receive 8 flights that day and instead received the second most 
        number of flights, at 38, and the second most number of passengers, at 
        6,600, out of all the Canadian airports during Operation Yellow Ribbon;
Whereas the Town of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, 
        has a population of approximately 9,600, only 3,000 more than the total 
        number of stranded passengers;
Whereas the citizens of Gander and other Newfoundlanders provided stranded 
        passengers with food, clothing, shelter, medicine, potluck suppers, 
        guided tours, whale-watching excursions, and impromptu concerts over the 
        course of three tense and uncertain days;
Whereas the kindness and generosity offered by the citizens of Gander, 
        Newfoundland and Labrador to stranded United States passengers will 
        forever be remembered as an embodiment of human compassion;
Whereas the stranded passengers have since sponsored scholarships for 
        Newfoundlanders, donated computer equipment to area communities, 
        financed a new conference room for the Gander area community of 
        Lewisporte and held annual reunions to show their appreciation for the 
        goodwill of the citizens of Gander;
Whereas the United States owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the citizens of 
        Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador;
Whereas all local Canadian communities surrounding the affected airports also 
        welcomed the large number of passengers and accommodated them in their 
        homes and public facilities; and
Whereas the United States also owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to all 
        Canadian airports and the surrounding communities that welcomed the 
        remaining flights, including--

    (1) 1 flight to Deer Lake Regional Airport, 21 flights to St. John's 
International Airport, 7 flights to Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, and 8 
flights to Stephenville International Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador;

    (2) 47 flights to Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova 
Scotia;

    (3) 10 flights to Greater Moncton International Airport in New 
Brunswick;

    (4) 10 flights to Montreal-Mirabel International Airport and 7 flights 
to Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Quebec;

    (5) 14 flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport and 4 flights 
to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Ontario;

    (6) 15 flights to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International 
Airport in Manitoba;

    (7) 6 flights to Edmonton International Airport and 13 flights to 
Calgary International Airport in Alberta;

    (8) 1 flight to Yellowknife Airport in the Northwest Territories;

    (9) 3 flights to Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport in 
Yukon; and

    (10) 34 flights to Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia: 
Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and thanks 
the citizens of Gander, Newfoundland, and all other citizens across 
Canada who, during a time of unprecedented crisis, challenge, and 
uncertainty, came to the aid of United States citizens and forever 
cemented the generosity, goodwill, and mutual understanding that has 
defined the bilateral relationship between the United States and 
Canada.
                                 <all>