The Belleville Fire Department headquarters along Station Street was the scene of a sombre ceremony marking the 17th anniversary
of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda, hijacked four commercial airplanes, deliberately crashing two of the planes into the upper floors of the North and South towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) complex and a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The Twin Towers ultimately collapsed because of the damage sustained from the impacts and the resulting fires. After learning about the other attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, fought back, and the plane crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania about 20 minutes by air from Washington, DC. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people from 93 nations. 2,753 people were killed in New
York, 184 people were killed at the Pentagon, including 55 military personnel, and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.
Close to 100 members of Belleville and Quinte West emergency services, members of the military, politicians and members of the public took in the ceremony which featured a moment of silence and the tolling of the bell to remember the many killed and the heroism of the first responders in the attacks.
Among the speakers were Bay of Quinte riding MP Neil Ellis, MPP Todd Smith, Mayor of Quinte West Jim Harrison, and
the City of Belleville’s Chief Administrative Officer Rick Kester, representing Mayor Taso Christopher.
All stressed the importance of police, firefighters and paramedics and commended their bravery, urging the community to always
remember and support them.
Belleville Fire Chief Mark MacDonald led the service. Padre Blair Ross presented the prayers used by each emergency service, fire, police,
and paramedics.