Medicine Hat News
Twenty four years ago, the world awoke in the crisp air of early fall.
Businesses flipped their open signs, cars paraded the streets, children prepared for schools and September 11, 2001 was like any other day.
At 6:46 a.m. MST, American Airlines Flight 11 flew into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex, just 17 minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. Both collapsed within an hour and 42 minutes. Two other hijacked planes crashed across the United States, marking a changing of the world forever.
The September 11 attacks were four coordinated terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001, with two planes crashing into the World Trade Centre, a third into the Pentagon and a fourth crashing in a rural Pennsylvania field.
The four crashes killed 2,996 people (including the hijackers) and injured thousands more, over 90 countries lost citizens in the attack.
The hearts of the world held New York and its citizens tightly, with the stunning sights and horrors of the largest terrorist attack leaving an impact here in Medicine Hat.
The News is looking back at notable events from Medicine Hat’s history leading up to the celebration of our 140th publishing year later this fall.
Following the 9/11 attacks, planes remained grounded at the Medicine Hat Airport and security at CFB Suffield was “beefed up” in response to the string of attacks.
Hatters watched from afar, 3,550 kilometres from New York but drawn in through television and radio coverage.
“When they find out who’s behind this, they’re in big trouble. It’s a terrible thing to happen,” Hatter Art Scott told the News in 2001.
“I’m sure lots of people here have relatives in the States who are affected directly by this.”
Hatters Roy and Colleen Wilson watched their son Craig, then a producer with CBS News in New York, speak to CBC’s Peter Mansbridge.
Two Illinois residents were travelling in Medicine Hat on Sept. 11, 2001, having just finished lunch at a Redcliff truck stop when they heard the news. Dorr and Suzanne Lent, travelling Canada in their motorhome since August, were emotional upon learning of the news.
“This is unbelievable, Suzanne said. “It seems like you’re telling us something to shock us and it can’t be true.”
Former News photographer Mike Bednar was in the air on Sept. 11, landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport to a “brea-like scene.”
“We got off the plane and there was security everywhere. Soldiers in full gear,” Bednar said from Parry Sound, Ont. where he had travelled for a friend’s wedding.
“As you walked through it was dead quiet, there was nothing. It was eerie. You were waling through and there was no one there except for security and the people coming off of planes.”
Bednar said the flight into Toronto was different than previous times he had made the trip, not learning the news of the attack until they were on the ground.
“There was just this deathly silence across the plane and everybody’s eyes were just wide,” Bednar said.
A pair of Medicine Hat Tigers were in New York, attending the Rangers’ NHL training camp. Ryan Hollweg and Rory Rawlyk were in their hotel room 10 blocks from the World Trade Centre when they were awakened by the sound of sirens.
They were three blocks away at Madison Square Garden when the towers crashed down later that fateful day.
“We were doing our fitness testing at Madison Square garden, when all of a sudden, the building started shaking,” Hollweg told the News from New York. “It was really scary, we didn’t know what was going on.”
The One World Trade Center began construction in 2006 and opened in 2014. On every anniversary in New York City, the names of the victims who died there are read out over music.
