Gander, N.L., defends invitation to U.S. ambassador Hoekstra to 9/11 commemoration

The Town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, has defended its invitation to U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to attend a 9/11 commemoration. The annual payment for the invitation is $205.00 plus GST for one year, with automatic renewal at $233.00 plus GST every 52 weeks. The invitation was described as protocol, not an endorsement, by the town.

Hoekstra is among several dignitaries attending the town’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. News of his attendance sparked strong reactions online and even a satirical article in The Beaverton. Gander's town council emphasized that the event is about people, not politics, and urged residents to focus on the lives lost and the humanity demonstrated during that tragic week.

Hoekstra had previously criticized the "elbows up" campaign against U.S. tariffs and expressed irritation with Canadians' response to President Trump's rhetoric about making the country the 51st state. Despite the controversy, Hoekstra stated he was attending "not just on behalf of those who were stranded, but for an entire nation that remains moved by Gander’s generosity."