PEACE ARCH, B.C. — On the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, hundreds of Canadian and American officials, first responders and border personnel gathered at the Peace Arch border crossing for a Northwest 9/11 memorial ceremony that sought to honour those lost and recall the actions of that day.
A first responder’s memory
Retired New York Police Department lieutenant Kevin Lynch told the assembled crowd he remembers exactly where he was and how events unfolded. Hired as an NYPD officer in 1999, Lynch was working bicycle patrol in downtown Brooklyn — just across the East River from the World Trade Centre — when he first heard reports of a plane striking the towers.
“I remember hearing it come over on my police radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and, like a lot of people, I thought it was a Cessna and someone had gotten lost,” Lynch said.
He described biking to an overlook and watching the first tower burning. Moments later, spectators realised a second aircraft had struck, producing an explosion so powerful Lynch said he briefly thought the scene was staged for a film.
He then recalled immediate concerns for his family and the scramble to respond. With cellular networks overloaded, Lynch said he resorted to a payphone to warn his wife not to bring their newborn son into the city. He then joined colleagues to assist in the evacuation of thousands of people.
Cross-border ceremony draws hundreds
The commemorative event at the Peace Arch was attended by a broad cross-section of people involved in border security and emergency response. Organisers and participants included military personnel, police, border officials and dignitaries from both sides of the border. The gathering reflected the close operational and symbolic ties between Canadian and U.S. first responders forged in the aftermath of the attacks.
- Event: Northwest 9/11 memorial ceremony
- When: Sept. 11 (25th anniversary)
- Where: Peace Arch border crossing, South Surrey
- Who attended: Hundreds of Canadian and American dignitaries, first responders, military and border personnel
Why remembrance matters
For many in the crowd, the memorial served both to honour the dead and to underscore lessons about preparedness, cross-border cooperation and the human toll borne by first responders. Lynch, one of four New York City first responders who later attended a memorial at the World Trade Centre earlier in the month, highlighted how ordinary decisions — from getting on a bicycle patrol shift to stopping to help — became part of a sweeping, chaotic response.
Local resonance for Yukon readers
Though the ceremony took place in South Surrey, the event carries resonance for communities across Canada’s North, including Yukon, where many families have ties to the United States and where small, close-knit emergency services communities often share training and mutual-aid relationships with colleagues to the south.
| Detail | Note |
|---|---|
| Anniversary | 25th |
| Location | Peace Arch border crossing, South Surrey |
| Key speaker | Retired NYPD lieutenant Kevin Lynch |
Remembering through testimony
Lynch’s recollections illustrated how disbelief and confusion gave way to rapid, improvised action. His story is one among many that survivors and first responders share at vigils and memorials this month, and his presence at the Peace Arch crossing connected American experience to a Canadian audience standing just metres from the international boundary.
As communities mark the passage of a quarter-century, remembrance events such as this serve to keep the memory of victims and the sacrifices of first responders in public view, while also reminding officials and citizens of the importance of preparedness, communications and cross-border cooperation in crisis situations.
The ceremony at the Peace Arch was one of several observances held in the region on the anniversary, bringing people together across jurisdictions to reflect on a day that changed North American security, emergency response practice and countless individual lives.
