Trudeau marks 9/11 anniversary in Newfoundland at Come From Away forum
Prime minister is in St. John's this week for cabinet meetings
On the 16th anniversary of 9/11, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited St. John's to help remember the kindness of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the weeks following the attacks.
He was in attendance at the Arts and Culture Centre for a forum discussing the Broadway musical Come From Away, which documents the role Gander and central Newfoundland played in helping accommodate stranded airline passengers after the attacks.
Trudeau praised Come From Away for telling not only a specific story about the kindness of the town of Gander, but for also telling a universal story about human decency in the aftermath of tragic events.
"It's a reminder that for all the bad news we see on the TV every night, the celebration of 'if it bleeds it leads' that seems to overwhelm us, that's not the whole story," said Trudeau.
"We are better than we sometimes think we are. Each and every one of us."
The Come From Away forum was moderated by newly appointed Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan and featured star Petrina Bromley, playwrights David Hein and Irene Sankoff and Gander Mayor Claude Elliot — who is portrayed in the musical.
Trudeau is in town this week for cabinet meetings in St. John's.
Watch the entire Come From Away forum in the two videos below:
Part 2 continues below: