It’s been 25 years since the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.
As a border community, Sarnia felt the immediate shockwaves of the national tragedy. Security measures were instantly heightened across the region, most notably at local industrial sites in Chemical Valley and at the Blue Water Bridge crossing into Port Huron, Michigan.
Former Blackburn Media News Director Dave Dentinger, said the morning started like any other with him getting ready for work as the afternoon on-air newscaster.
"Someone called me, I think my wife from work to tell me to turn on the television and I turned it on just in time to see the second plane hit the second tower," said Dentinger. "We all felt the shock of that moment was, oh my, this isn't an accident, this is a terrorist attack."
Cross-border traffic ground to an abrupt standstill, leaving vehicles backed up for several kilometres along Highway 402 for hours as border protocols tightened.
"It was like shocking paralysis," said Dentinger. "Movement stopped and there were immediate backups of traffic, you can appreciate when there's an incident at anytime, how quickly that traffic backs up. So we had traffic backed up on the 402 far east toward London."
Chemical Valley was also placed on high alert.
"Nobody knew if there were more planes with targets," said Dentinger. "And again it seemed surreal, but we started to think that the Chemical Valley may be wondering if it's a target. They went into immediate security alert, and to this day they developed protocols out of 9/11, not just for accidents, but for potential terrorist attacks and sabotage."
Despite the uncertainty and fear, Dentinger recalled the local community quickly rallied to help those caught in the gridlock on the highway.
"It was quite impressive how the community, once it got over its initial shock, how it mobilized. Volunteers and businesses were going out along the 402 to get water and food to all the people that were stranded out there, because it was gridlock and nobody knew how long it was going to be in that state."
Dentinger noted the day permanently reshaped Sarnia-Lambton and the border.
"9/11 brought us closer than ever to our American neighbours. There were mutual aid protocols developed and security matters between the countries, and between Michigan and Ontario and Sarnia and Port Huron and it was such a deep respectful relationship, much in contrast unfortunately to what we see happening with that relationship in today's world."
To mark the milestone anniversary on Friday, the Michigan Department of Transportation said all area border crossings, including the Blue Water Bridge, will briefly close.
Traffic on the border crossing will be cleared prior to 8:46 a.m. to observe a moment of silence marking the exact moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
The brief ceremony will include the raising of the flag and the playing of Taps.
The flag at Sarnia City Hall will be lowered to half-mast on Friday to mark the anniversary, and will remain lowered over the weekend in recognition of Firefighters’ National Memorial Day on Sunday, September 13.
