Page 2 - Town of Gander

t’s an easy task to introduce a town

that has a history as illustrious and a

Ifuture so bright as the Town of Gander,
Newfoundland and Labrador.

On what is affectionately known as The Rock,

Gander sits on the north east coast of the

mighty North Atlantic in Newfoundland and
Labrador.

Its origins started as one of the most

significant aviation locations in the world in

the early days of flight. Thanks to its location
on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and, as

such, one of the last landing spots between

North America and Europe, the Gander
International Airport was the ideal refuelling

stop for aircraft in the days before large jet

engines could fly such distances on one tank.

In the early days of commercial aviation,
everyone from Fidel Castro to the Beatles

landed in Gander. Referred to as the

Crossroads of the World, such milestone
flights as the world’s first transatlantic flight

began and many of Amelia Earhart voyages all
began in Gander.

As the mid-century aviation heyday settled
down, the Gander airport grew quieter, but

was once again propelled to the global stage

during the aftermath of the 911 attacks, when
Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest (Photo Credit-Tom Cochrane)
38 airplanes carrying over 6,500 people found
themselves unexpectedly landing in Gander.

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