Where were you on September 11th 2001 at 08:30?

[bigugli]

Had just started my work day when it hit. We were all called in to watch live, and told an hour later to cancel all loads to the U.S. as the borders had been closed.

[netminder]

Mr. James's Grade 10 English class. Had a girl (I know exactly who she is still, but won't mention her name out of respect. Used to live down the road from my grandparents and her father used to hunt on their property) from down the hall come in and say that a plane had hit the WTC, and another one did soon after. The early suspicion was there was a poor visibility day and the one plane was trying to follow the other and both ended up hitting the buildings. No one anticipated it being a jetliner, more like a Cessna. I honestly can't remember what happened the rest of the day, but it couldn't have been much. Everyone was pretty distracted, to say the least.

[craigdritchie]

In my office at Real Fishing, trying to find my desk under a mountain of mail. First day back in the office in a week or two ... Bob, the crew and I had just flew home from some lodge in Quebec the Friday before. I'm still opening my Hortons when he says turn on the radio, a plane hit the World Trade Center in New York and its on fire. I had a small clock radio in my office and there were three or four of us huddled around it, listening, when the second plane hit. And all I could think of - selfishly, I admit - was I don't know what's going on, but man am I ever glad to be home.

[ketchenany]

I was 15 floors up at Yonge and Eglinton right above the subway station.

 

We all scouters so it was matter of tuning in or to the boardroom where people had gathered.

WE started hearing sirens and what he'll happend now, the troops came to guard the station!

My daughter worked for at the time and they were tying to figure out what do do with the planes in the air.

 

A sad day it was.

[Old Ironmaker]

^ that would have been very unsettling to say the least. Not everyday a city like TO is locked down with heavily armed Police on every corner downtown. I think Ottawa had Soldiers out on the streets too.

[Headhunter]

I was at work, downtown core, right beside First Canadian Place. That office, had just been down-sized from 20 people, to just one, me! I was working on transitioning to a new company and by myself in the office. My new boss was working from an office, three blocks away.

My mother in law called me to tell me of the first plane. I trotted down to the coffee shop on the main floor, as I knew they had tv's throughout the shop.

I was standing there, sipping my coffee, when the 2nd plane hit... strangest thing I have ever seen.

I went back to work, hoping someone from my new company would call and let me know what their plans were, and I waited....

About two hours into it, I finally decided to call myself and was told that they had forgotten about me and that they had already sent everyone home!!!!! Rumours at the time were that Toronto's financial district would likely be a target as well, so, I locked up and went home to watch the events unfold.

My wife, pregnant at the time was in tears, thinking that the world was about to end and is this the kind of world we want to bring a child into?

A remarkable day to be sure....

HH

[DanD]

I ended up babysitting a couple of unmarked RCMP vehicles, that were in for servicing that day. The officers that drove the units were called to Ottawa for reassignment; it was close to a month before they were back here in London.

 

Dan.

[blaque]

Downtown Buffalo, at my desk at work........guy next to me with headphones on says non shalantly, "uh oh, i guess a plane ran into one of the twin towers". Crazy cuz i thought the same thing everyone i have talked to over the years say they thought....."figured it was a cessna type plane" Wasnt long after that , that everyone dropped their work and headed to the cafeteria to watch it all unfold.

 

I remember, no-one could fathom what they were seeing right in front of them on television, but there was still conversation happening in the room. And then it happened..........the first tower collapsed, any conversation had stopped abruptly, and the whole room deflated. The unfathomable turned to surreal, people were just walking out of the room with an almost panicked yet subdued look on their face, like they just werent all there. Tears, disbelief, anxiety, just numbness all around. I remember people just going back to their desks to gather their breif cases and purses, and without a word to their managers or higher ups.........just walking out from their jobs for the day.

 

An awful day and one that my mind will never be able to erase

[leaf4]

Aside from North America, obviously being such a widespread effect on Canada and US, it made me think.

 

What does the rest of the world do on September 11 do they run any news on tv about it in Europe? What about the middle East? It would be interesting to gain the perspective from others not on this continent, I'll have to ask my relatives in the Netherlands next time we speak for sure

[DanD]

You don't need to look all the way to the Middle East to see or feel how some felt that day. I moved into my house 28 years ago and over those years there has been many new Canadians move into the neighbourhood; mostly Lebanese.

The family right next door to me had a group of their friends sitting in a semi circle on the front lawn; passing around a hookah pipe that afternoon. They were speaking Arabic, laughing and every once and awhile we'd hear them cheer?

I took the dog for a walk and found out what the cheering was all about; they were watching the news reports on a portable tv. Every time they'd play a plane hitting one of the towers or the towers coming down they would cheer as if they were watching a sports game and their team just scored.

I went in the house called the cops; where I was told they couldn't do anything. They did send a cruiser and the cop did get out and talked to them; where their little party did break up.

Before 9/11 the women wore western clothes and most did not have their head covered; the men were mostly clean shaven. Since then 90% of the women are dressed more Eastern and I have never seen the neighbour without her head covered. For at least 5 years after 9/11 he and most of the Lebanese men had full beards.

I'm only speaking of what I have seen and lived with; I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush; but they do live among us.

 

Dan.

 

 

 

[bow slayer]

Dan you must be talking about White Oaks,it use to be a great neighbourhood,many of my buddies back in high school grew up in that area and I spent a many night hanging out there.

[wallyboss]

Working for the local cable television company and we were all pulled from the road and came to the office to watch it on the tv and to plan for extra quick outage repairs if they happened for the next 4 days. I still remember the house i was parked in front of when I first heard and still to this day every time I pass in front of it i get shivers!!

[Old Ironmaker]

Dan that's hard to believe but hard or not I believe you. You aren't one to make something like that up. Sad. There might not be a single Muslim family in our county, what a difference from the city and here rurally. If there is I don't know where. We must not paint all with the same brush like Dan said. When I was a kid growing up in a Wasp neighbourhood and one of only 2 Catholics going to a Wasp school I was painted by the same brush and it hurts badly. When the survey I grew up in was built a few years before we moved within it there was an application to buy a home, no Jews, Negroes or Catholics, I have seen it. I should have kept it.

 

Shortly after 911 I was called by an engineering consulting firm to work with manufacturing companies that were vulnerable to terrorism (sabotage). It was unbelievable how easy it would have been to cause several millions of dollars damage as well as put many lives in jeopardy if someone knew what button to push or valve to turn and could walk right into these plants right off the street. I hope things haven't gone back to the lax ways we were in pre 911.

[manitoubass2]

Remember it very vividly.

 

I lived at my grandpas after my gma passed. I moved in to look after him.

 

We had a solid routine. I was up at 5am and got the grapefruit cut and ready. Heated up the skillet for eggs and klick.

 

Woke gramps up at 530am and we had our grapefruit, then klick and eggs.

 

Next up was always cbc then cnn for an hour or so.

 

Gramps hit the washroom and thats when the first plane hit.

 

I never bothered him because in all honesty I thought it was one of those CNN docu movie type things.

 

By the time I realised that it was real we barely left our chairs.

 

By 530pm I went on a beer run and gramps asked for a 12 pack instead of his 4 pack. I bought a case, knowing he was shook and it was gonna be a long night.

 

That was one of three times I seen my grampa cry, one talking about being in ww1, two when gma died.

 

It was so sureal and shocking

 

Unless I get dementia or alzheimers Ill never forget every little detail of that day.

Edited September 13, 2016 by manitoubass2

[Fisherman]

Driving west on #26 just short of Meaford when I heard the first broadcast.

[Spiel]

Driving one of the mill cranes in Stelco's 148" Plate Mill listening to Howard Stern on the radio.
Like many at first thinking, ya......okay!

A very somber day that intensified once at home and watching the news reports.

[BillM]

Watching planes hit the WTC. Oldman woke me up.

[DanD]

Dan you must be talking about White Oaks,it use to be a great neighbourhood,many of my buddies back in high school grew up in that area and I spent a many night hanging out there.

 

Close

The Pond Mills area; but there are quite a few new Canadian families here now. It seems every time a house is sold, a new extended large family move in.

Don't get me wrong; I have not seen another open disrespect towards our life style or beliefs since that day.

But like I said they do live amongst us.

 

Dan.

[leaf4]

 

Close

The Pond Mills area; but there are quite a few new Canadian families here now. It seems every time a house is sold, a new extended large family move in.

Don't get me wrong; I have not seen another open disrespect towards our life style or beliefs since that day.

But like I said they do live amongst us.

 

Dan.

That's why I ask the question, 15 years later who harbours hatred for the USA still and if so is it a widely shared ideal in another bubble of the world.

 

A guy I went to school with went over and joined up isis and ended up getting his head blown off in 2014 at age 19 so I definitely know they are here (if you want to read here's a link)

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/hamilton/news/mohamud-mohamed-mohamud-hamilton-youth-reported-killed-as-isis-fighter-not-the-son-they-knew-1.2776246

 

But it really seems from Sept 11 forward, the fear mongering and scapegoating towards them is abundant and widely accepted which is sad.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Lucas F