Canada and September 11: Impact and Responses

by Patricia S Silver, Karim-Aly S Kassam, George Meinyk

The events of September 11, 2001, left 3,000 Americans dead and resulted in the War on Terror, which Canada joined. After the initial shock and disbelief over what had happened, personal and public responses ranged from deep sympathy for the victims to an acknowledgement that the U.S. had finally tasted the kind of horror that many other countries in the world have experienced. A debate ensued in Canada about the kind of response the country should undertake, about the explanations for the events and the implications new ... Read More

The events of September 11, 2001, left 3,000 Americans dead and resulted in the War on Terror, which Canada joined. After the initial shock and disbelief over what had happened, personal and public responses ranged from deep sympathy for the victims to an acknowledgement that the U.S. had finally tasted the kind of horror that many other countries in the world have experienced. A debate ensued in Canada about the kind of response the country should undertake, about the explanations for the events and the implications new security and surveillance measures would have for established freedoms and the values of civil society. Read Less