Seat
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sale
     
    
   
   
    
     
      St.
      John’s,
      Newfoundland:
      Kindness
      in
      Times
      of
      Terror
     
     
      by
      Christine
      GORDON
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Seat
      Sale
      will
      be
      a
      recurring
      column
      combining
     
     
      the
      wonderful
      worlds
      of
      travel
      writing
      and
      per-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sonal
      narrative.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      Issue:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      double
      feature.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Vincent
      Lavers!
      Christine
      Gordon!
      Lucky
      you!
      -Ed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      September
      11th
      terrorist
      attack
      in
     
     
      the
      United
      States
      was
      a
      historic
      event
     
     
      which
      will
      have
      people
      remembering
     
     
      where
      they
      were
      and
      what
      they
      were
     
     
      doing
      when
      they
      first
      heard
      of
      the
     
     
      event,
      like
      the
      Kennedy
      assassination
     
     
      and
      the
      O.J.
      Simpson
      trial.
      The
      sick-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ening
      realization
      of
      what
      had
     
     
      occurred,
      and
      the
      devastating
      after-
     
     
      math
      that
      transformed
      New
      York
      City
     
     
      into
      a
      warzone
      are
      not
      easily
      forgot-
     
     
      ten.
      Yet,
      in
      all
      the
      violence
      and
      horror,
     
     
      I
      was
      fortunate
      enough
      to
      witness
     
     
      something
      incredible
      —
      an
      act
      of
      kind-
     
     
      ness
      that
      unified
      an
      entire
      province
     
     
      and
      showed
      the
      generosity
      of
     
     
      Newfoundlanders.
     
    

    
     
      I
      write
      about
      this
      particular
     
     
      province
      because,
      due
      to
      the
      chaos
      of
     
     
      air
      travel,
      I
      happened
      to
      be
      stranded
      in
     
     
      Newfoundland
      while
      all
      this
      was
      hap-
     
     
      pening.
      I
      had
      no
      idea
      what
      was
      occur-
     
     
      ring
      on
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      at
      this
     
     
      time,
      but
      I
      do
      know
      with
      vivid
      remem-
     
     
      brance,
      what
      happened
      on
      the
      “Rock:”
     
     
      What
      I
      saw
      made
      me
      proud
      to
      have
     
     
      been
      born
      there
      and
      blessed
      with
      the
     
     
      “kindness”
      that
      these
      people
      seem
      to
     
     
      possess
      in
      abundance.
     
     
      Newfoundlanders
      have
      typically
      been
     
     
      associated
      with
      generosity.
      The
      after-
     
     
      math
      of
      the
      attack
      on
      the
      United
      States
     
     
      once
      again
      proved
      that
      the
      hearts
      of
     
     
      Newfoundlands
      are
      most
      undoubtably
     
     
      their
      greatest
      attribute
      and
      may
      one
     
     
      day
      find
      its
      place
      in
      The
      Guinness
     
     
      Book
      of
      Records
      as
      being
      twice
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      size
      of.the
      average
      person.
     
    

    
     
      During
      my
      extended
      “holi-
     
     
      day,”
      I
      saw
      many
      acts
      of
      kindness
      that
     
     
      seemed
      to
      unify
      the
      province
      into
      a
     
     
      place
      of
      refuge.
      Immediately
      after
      the
     
     
      attack,
      calls
      for
      help
      appeared
      on
      the
     
     
      local
      television
      and
      radio
      stations.
      Not
     
     
      only’
      <
      were:
      the.
      speople..,
      of
     
     
      Newfoundland
      being
      asked
      to
      donate
     
     
      blood,
      but
      because
      of
      the
      influx
      of
     
     
      people
      (27
      planes
      were
      diverted
      to
      St.
     
     
      John’s
      airport
      and
      the
      population
      of
     
     
      Gander
      nearly
      doubled
      when
     
     
      Canadian
      and
      American
      airspace
      was
     
     
      closed
      and
      over
      13,000
      unexpected
     
     
      visitors
      descended
      upon
      the
      province)
     
     
      food,
      blankets
      and
      other
      provisions
     
     
      were
      needed.
      People
      were
      being
      asked
     
     
      to
      open
      their
      homes
      to
      those
      stranded
     
     
      due
      to
      the
      tragedy.
      I
      listened
      wide-
     
     
      eyed
      with
      amazement
      when,
      about
      an
     
     
      hour
      after
      the
      first
      call
      for
      help
      was
     
     
      placed,
      the
      same
      tv
      and
      radio
     
     
      announcers
      who
      had
      asked
      for
      dona-
     
     
      tions,
      now
      implored
      people
      to
      with-
     
     
      hold
      further
      donations
      as
      crisis
      centres
     
     
      were
      being
      bombarded
      with
      food,
     
     
      blankets
      and
      clothes.
      Blood
      banks
      had
     
     
      lineups
      that
      extended
      out
      into
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Street.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Mile
      One
      Stadium
      in
     
     
      downtown
      St.
      John’s
      became
      the
      hold-
     
     
      ing
      centre
      for
      some
      4,500
      passengers
     
     
      as
      they
      awaited
      temporary
      shelter.
     
     
      Schools
      and
      churches
      had
      no
      reserva-
     
     
      tions
      in
      shutting
      down
      their
      regular
     
     
      services
      to
      accommodate
      these
      peo-
     
     
      ple.
      I
      was
      able
      to
      witness
      first
      hand
      the
     
     
      efforts
      of
      such
      an
      operation
      since
      my
     
     
      friend’s
      father,
      Aubrey
      Vincent
      (who
     
     
      so
      kindly
      took
      me
      in
      as
      part
      of
      their
     
     
      “stranded
      outreach
      program”),
      is
      part
     
     
      of
      the
      Salvation
      Army’s
      crisis
      team
      at
     
     
      Mount
      Pearl
      citadel.
     
    

    
     
      When
      the
      first
      phone
      call
      for
     
     
      help
      came
      around
      11
      p.m.
      on
      Sept
     
    
   
   
    
     
      11th,
      Mr.
      Vincent
      immediately
      took
     
     
      action
      in
      setting
      up
      the
      church
      to
     
     
      receive
      these
      newly
      landed
      “immi-
     
     
      grants.”
      He,
      along
      with
      other
      members
     
     
      of
      the
      community
      organization,
     
     
      worked
      long
      into
      the
      night
      settling
     
     
      people,
      figuring
      out
      sleeping
      arrange-
     
     
      ments,
      organizing
      rides
      to
      a
      local
     
     
      school
      for
      showers
      and
      setting
      up
      a
     
     
      schedule
      for
      church
      members
      to
      cook
     
     
      meals
      for
      them.
      As
      well
      as
      taking
      care
     
     
      of
      their
      physical
      needs,
      the
      crisis
      team
     
     
      saw
      to
      their
      emotional
      needs
      —
      taking
     
     
      the
      time
      to
      talk
      to
      them.
      Games
      were
     
     
      brought
      in
      for
      the
      children,
      as
      well
      as
     
     
      a
      TV
      so
      that
      people
      could
      follow
      the
     
     
      events
      of
      the
      attack.
      The
      flight
      that
     
     
      most
      of
      these
      people
      were
      on
      was
     
     
      heading
      to
      the
      US
      from
      Paris,
      so
      many
     
     
      on
      board
      were
      Americans.
      Not
      only
     
     
      were
      they
      personally
      connected
      to
      the
     
     
      tragedy,
      but
      many
      suffered
      from
      the
     
     
      frustration
      of
      being
      stuck
      in
      a
      foreign
     
     
      country
      and
      not
      able
      to
      help.
      Trying
      to
     
     
      track
      down
      relatives
      became
      a
      priority
     
     
      and
      the
      church
      offered
      its
      phone
     
     
      immediately.
      The
      human
      factor
      sur-
     
     
      passed
      any
      financial
      concerns
      these
     
     
      volunteers
      may
      have
      had.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Newfoundlanders
     
     
      have
      typically
      been
     
     
      associated
      with
      gen-
     
     
      erosity.
      The
      after-.
     
     
      math
      of
      the
      attack
      on
     
     
      the
      United
      States
     
     
      once
      again
      proved
     
     
      that
      the
      hearts
      of
     
     
      Newfoundlands
      are
     
     
      most
      undoubtably
     
     
      their
      greatest
      attrib-
     
     
      ute
      and
      may
      one
      day
     
     
      find
      its
      place
      in
      The
     
     
      Guinness
      Book
      of
     
     
      Records
      as
      being
     
     
      twice
      the
      size
      of
      the
     
     
      average
      person.
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [10]
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      make
      their
      stay
      as
      comfort-
     
     
      able
      as
      possible,
      volunteers
      from
      vari-
     
     
      ous
      organizations
      (including
      students
     
     
      from
      Memorial
      University)
      took
      it
     
     
      upon
      themselves
      to
      show
      “the
      strand-
     
     
      ed”
      around
      the
      city.
      Tours
      and
      shop-
     
     
      ping
      sprees
      were
      organized
      to
      try
      to
     
     
      alleviate
      the
      stress
      of
      those
      that
      had
     
     
      nothing
      and
      nowhere
      to
      go.
      Many
     
     
      hotels
      and
      restaurants
      offered
      free
     
     
      meals
      to
      the
      passengers.
      Due
      to
      secu-
     
     
      rity
      concerns,
      stranded
      travellers
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      were
      not
      allowed
      to
      bring
      any
     
     
      belongings
      with
      them,
      arriving
      with
      as
     
     
      little
      as
      a
      purse.
      Mr.
      Vincent
      told
      me
     
     
      of
      one
      woman
      who
      was
      forced
      to
      sleep
     
     
      in
      leather
      pants
      because
      she
      had
      no
     
     
      other
      change
      of
      clothing.
      When
      the
     
     
      showers
      became
      full,
      or
      too
      busy,
      Mr.
     
     
      Vincent
      drove
      some
      of
      these
      people
      to
     
     
      his
      house
      and
      let
      them
      shower
      there.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      passengers,
      Edith
     
     
      Bajema,
      who
      unexpectedly
      found
      her-
     
     
      self
      in
      St.
      John’s
      while
      travelling
      from
     
     
      London
      to
      Ohio,
      remarked
      on
      the
     
     
      kindness
      of
      these
      Newfoundland
     
     
      strangers:
      “We
      have
      found
      grace,
     
     
      compassion,
      kindness
      unlooked
      for
     
     
      and
      an
      eager
      and
      generous
      hospitality
     
     
      we
      never
      imagined
      possible.”
      Bajema
     
     
      was
      astonished
      at
      the
      extent
      of
      the
     
     
      generosity
      and
      understanding
      of
      their
     
     
      situation.
      She
      recounted
      her
      experi-
     
     
      ence
      upon
      first
      arriving
      at
      the
      Mile
     
     
      One
      Stadium:
      “...we
      were
      met
      by
     
     
      organized
      messengers,
      translators
      of
     
     
      six
      different
      languages,
      even
      a
      sign-
     
     
      language
      expert.
      They
      led
      us
      through
     
     
      an
      orderly
      army
      of
      volunteers
      who
     
     
      registered
      us,
      plied
      us
      with
      fresh
      fruit
     
     
      and
      sandwiches
      and
      pastries,
      bottled
     
     
      water
      and
      juice
      and
      coffee,
      and
      tooth-
     
     
      paste
      [and
      toothbrushes,
      good
      ones!
      ],
     
     
      soap,
      Aspirin,
      and
      other
      necessities.
     
     
      Medical
      help
      was
      available.
      Chaplains
     
     
      were
      there
      to
      pray
      with
      us.
      Free
      phone
     
     
      lines
      had
      been
      installed.
      Stuffed
      ani-
     
     
      mals
      were
      handed
      out
      to
      children
      and
     
     
      to
      any
      adult
      who
      looked
      as
      though
     
     
      they
      could
      use
      that
      kind
      of
      comfort.
     
     
      And
      everywhere,
      there
      was
      concern
     
     
      and
      compassion.”