Vive le Canada

Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s speech on the 25^th anniversary of the 911 terrorist attack ~ Sep 11, 2026 at Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador

Formatted here as a poem, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s speech is one for the ages. Infused by his typical fighting spirit, though graciously offered, his words are a paean to friendship between nations. In the present negatively charged political climate, his points are targeted and specific.

­Those of us who were alive then

Will never forget that terrible day 25 years ago

A naval terrorist attack

Thousands dead

Our neighbors, our closest friends under attack

It was like a nightmare

One we will never forget

One that can never be erased

But there is another memory from that same day

A memory of a people

An entire nation coming together as one

To stand with our friends and to offer them

Safety and support and solidarity

It is a day when we saw the worst of humanity and the very best

One of the very best moments was here in Gander

Without a moment of hesitation

A community of 10,000 welcomed 6,500 people

Other cities across Canada received 200 planes

That could not land in the United States

But no community increased its population like Gander

Overnight it became two thirds larger

Families open their homes

And they also open ed their hearts

Because that is what I call the Canadian way

When our friends are in trouble

We don’t hesitate

We act

We do the decent thing

We do the human thing

And the right thing

That is what the people of Gander did

And it is what people across did in Canada after 911

As prime minister

I was proud of the way our country stepped up

I was proud of our people

And I was proud of our government

Three days after that terrible date

More than 100,000 Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill

To show our solidarity with the American people

Out in the open

Unafraid, sullen

The prime minister, the governor general

And the American ambassador

And thousands and thousands of ordinary Canadians

It was one of the most moving emotional moments of my life

Three minutes of complete silence

You could hear a pin drop

Our friends were hurt

And we were hurting with them

I was proud that it was my government,

The government of Canada that moved the motion

To invoke article five of the NATO charter

The first and only time in the history of NATO it was ever used

Article five says that an attack on one country is an attack on all of NATO

Our closest friend was attacked

And that was an attack on us too

And we fought back side by side

This was more than a symbol

Canadian troops went into Afghanistan with NATO

To fight al-Qaeda and destroy their training bases

In fact, in the following years,

165 Canadians died in Afghanistan

Including 158 Canadian soldiers

Our Canadian military is filled with brave men and women

Like the ones who gave their lives in Afghanistan

Or even further back

Like the Canadian soldiers

Who stepped up to fight bravely in World War I and World War II

And all around the world

When we were called to do so

That is the Canada that came together on 911

This is the Canada that we are today

It is what the families of gander showed the world 25 years ago

It was what Canadians show the world every day

Again because it’s the Canadian way

So I would like to conclude with this personal message

The people here, today and people across Canada

They know me – i’ve been around a while

They know I like to speak my mind

Today, I am not representing any government

I am just a former prime minister

92 years old

And a very proud Canadian

But I have seen a few things in my lifetime

And I know this country and its people

From coast to coast to coast

I have a message for our American friends

Yes, Canada is a generous and open country

And Canadians are tolerant and kind

But never mistake our generosity for weakness.

Never, never mistake our tolerance

For lack of determination

And never, never mistake

Our kindness for softness.

We know who we are and we are proud of it.

Building a country like this

With this climate and this geography

Is a sign of toughness, not of weakness.

Welcoming people from all over the world,

Caring for each other,

Including the weakest in society,

Is a sign of strength.

We embrace our friends

And we help them in their moment of need,

But we bow to no one

And the more we are insulted or threatened and abused

The more we will stand up for ourselves and stand united

And I say that, not in anger, but as one friend to another

Friends need to be honest with each other

Just ask the people in Gander

And anywhere else in Newfoundland and Labrador

They will give you the shirt of their backs

Like they did 25 years ago

But they will always show you

the respect of telling you the truth.

So my friends, here is to truth, to respect

To friendship, and to good neighbours

Vive le Canada

POSTSCRIPT — We all wonder how US Ambassador Pet Hoekstra reacted to these fighting words. I doubt he even paid attention; perhaps he checked his email on his phone. These people are so brain-dead; so brain-washed; so self-centred; so concerned about how to use power to manipulate any vulnerable person, or endangered community, or abused creation. In so many ways his own presentation (liberally spiced with arrogant, patriarchal exclusive language) represents the polar opposite of PM Cretien’s words.

Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you