ST. CATHARINES, ONT. – The ongoing sorrow from the 9/11 attacks serves as a reminder of the strong connection between Canadians and Americans, even with current political issues and trade disputes, said the mayor of St. Catharines, Ont., as the city enhances its memorial for victims.
Today marks 25 years since nearly 3,000 individuals in the U. S. lost their lives when al-Qaida hijackers flew planes into New York’s World Trade Center towers and struck the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
This anniversary arrives amid rising trade tensions between Canada and the United States, but Mayor Mat Siscoe stated that the bond between people from both countries is more resilient than any trade disagreement.
“At the end of the day, I think Canadians view American citizens as brothers and cousins and sisters,” Siscoe said. “The words and the actions of our governments, I don’t think, will necessarily affect that.”
Siscoe joined U. S. consul general in Toronto Baxter Hunt and other officials to commemorate this anniversary a day early at Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm’s 9/11 memorial trail in St. Catharines’ north end, which overlooks Lake Ontario.
Siscoe mentioned that this memorial trail opened in 2006 features trees dedicated to 24 Canadians and three U. S. citizens with family ties in Canada who perished during the attacks. This year, they plan to plant nine additional trees to honor survivors and first responders.
A Canadian flag flies permanently at half-mast along this memorial trail, which also includes a “Tree of Peace.” The victim-honoring trees have plaques listing their names, ages, birthplaces, and locations where they died that day.
“This is the most significant terrorist attack that’s taken place on…north American soil,” Siscoe said. “Given the Canadian connection and our proximity to the American border, we thought that it was an appropriate place to commemorate them.”
On September 11th itself, over 200 flights were redirected to Canadian airports; Gander in Newfoundland famously hosted 38 passenger planes carrying more than 6,500 travelers after U. S. airspace was closed.
Three days post-attack saw around 80,000 people gathering at Parliament Hill for a national day of mourning according to police estimates reported by The Canadian Press that week.
The Canadian Red Cross dispatched 146 volunteers to assist on-site in New York while hundreds of Canadian firefighters and police officers went there to support survivors and help with recovery efforts.
Siscoe expressed hope that remembering these tragic events would bring people across both borders closer together.
“I think this was a grief borne predominantly by residents of the United States, but it was a grief shared by Canadians; so I think if nothing else this is a recognition that the ties that bind our peoples are a lot stronger than any trade war,” he said.
“I hope that our memories of this are a reminder that we are still two of the closest nations in history; we have so much shared history together.”
©2026 The Canadian Press
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