Trade Center steel to be donated to Gander

A central Newfoundland town that took in thousands of stranded travellers during the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 will soon receive a memento of thanks salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

A piece of steel from the WTC — a complex of buildings that collapsed after two jets crashed into its iconic twin towers —- will be donated to the people of Gander thanks to a fire station on Long Island, New York.

"I just wanted to thank the people of Gander for their kindness and generosity," said Mike Fenster, a high school teacher from Bethpage, New York, who helped to organize the move.

Fenster said he was motivated to do something after he saw an NBC documentary about Gander's response, and then learned how the small airport town and neighbouring communities took in more than 6,500 passengers who were forced to land when U.S. airspace was suddenly closed.

"I felt that it was important to do something extremely significant and to provide a gift, something thanking the wonderful people of Gander."

With an international airport that has a history of servicing transatlantic flights, Gander took in 38 jets in the hours after the 9/11 attacks. Residents provided shelter and food.

Fenster said officials in New York have released about 1,200 pieces of steel that had been hauled from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

"[They are intended] to be utilized as monuments … and I figured, maybe that's something I could do," Fenster said.

Gander Mayor Claude Elliott said the piece of steel will likely be placed in the town's aviation museum, in time for 10th anniversary ceremonies in September. The museum includes an exhibit on the town's 9/11 response.

"We can look at this piece as we saw the worst of mankind, and we also saw the best of it from New York to Gander, Newfoundland," Elliott told CBC News.

"I think it would be an honour to have that in our community."