Gander & Eastport, NL

When you hear of Gander, NL think of aircraft and a special bond with the U.S. Airplanes have served to link Gander and the U.S. on many occasions. We once had an airbase here, as this is the nearest point from North America to the British Isles. Many of the earliest flights that crossed the Atlantic started from here. Numerous balloonists have launched from here in an attempt to set records.

The worst plane crash ever in Canada occurred here in 1985. A U.S. military plane with 285 members of the 101^st Airborne Division was heading home to Fort Campbell from Iraq. All personnel aboard perished in a fiery crash on a hillside shortly after takeoff from the Gander Airport. We visited a monument on the crash site which has been erected as a tribute to our warriors. The Masons also have placed a monument there.

On the horrible day of 911 more than 13000 airline passengers were diverted to Canada, thirty eight planes landed in Gander. The airport is small by U.S. standards, but it met a critical need. Nine hundred of the displaced passengers would stay in and around Gander and with local families for several days. Many lasting friendships were formed, and many of the Americans have returned to visit their hosts. On that fateful day, we were leading an Airstream caravan on a remote island in Ontario. We can speak first-hand of the concern, generosity, and outreach of our kind Canadian neighbors.

One of the best things we did was spend a half-day with the Royal Canadian Search and Rescue Squadron stationed here. They have a few helicopters designated and well-equipped to perform their mission. Whenever they get a call from their Halifax headquarters concerning anyone in a life or death situation, they respond, provided that weather permits a safe flight. These guys are fit and tough, and they perform all manner of rescues from icy mountain slopes to burning or sinking ships to stranded fishermen floating on sheets of ice.

We moved on from Gander about 60 miles to Eastport. In that rural area, we spent most of three days with Jerry and Mary, old friends from Tennessee. We were both once in the Northern Virginia Airstream Unit. On the first evening, our leaders provided an excellent dinner at the local Legion Hall.

Our first outing was the picturesque little fishing village of Salvage. There we talked to several locals who love to talk about their experiences. We even returned on the second day for photos when the sun was favorable. We also took a 45-minute ferry ride to the Island of St. Brendan. Only about 140 people live there now, and there are less than 20 students. At one time there were over 5000 inhabitants of the island, but the fishing industry has dwindled, and younger people have moved on to jobs in a more modern place after having gone to college. As well, the Canadian government has sought to relocate citizens who reside in remote areas in order to provide services at a lesser cost. While on the ferry we talked to several passengers who grew up on the island, and they were extremely proud of their heritage. At one time there were no ferries, and people could only get to the mainland via scheduled steamers or they could walk when the harbor was frozen. There is only one church on St. Brendan, as everyone living there is of the Roman Catholic faith. There is only a dirt road and a couple of convenience stores. We elected to stay around the ferry until it returned to the mainland, as we had left our vehicle in the parking lot. Upon our return we drove to the small village of Burnside and took our own tour of lovely St. Auban’s church not far from the ferry dock. The church was open with not a person in sight.

As far as entertainment is concerned, we attended an evening musical presentation by four of the Ray Walsh family at the Eastport Heritage Center. It was a sellout crowd with most of our caravanners attending. The seats were comfortable, and the music was a combination of singing and string instruments resonating to Newfoundland and Irish tunes, some of which were written by the performers.

On our last day, which was Sunday, we drove about eight miles to a provincial park, Newman Sound. There we took a wonderful, quiet walk which was like strolling through an enchanted forest bordering a lovely harbor. We even saw an eagle. Back at the campground that evening, several caravanners opered their rigs to show the rest of us some of the creative things they had added to their Airstreams beyond what had been provided by the manufacturer.