Day 5 - Glovertown to Gander

Day 5 – Glovertown to Gander

As someone who likes to wear many hats, I am very fortunate to be able to fill a wide variety of roles on the Relay to keep things interesting. Just prior to leaving for the East Coast, I acquired my Class 4 Driver’s License. This means that by the power vested in the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, I am fully qualified to drive up to 25 passengers on a bus! Anyone want to be my passenger?? I have 1 day experience! Okay, so it’s not really a full day, but I drove the Relay shuttle bus for the first time in Gambo, NL for about a total of 6km. Didn’t have even ONE accident and only forgot to close the doors twice (but no one fell off) ;)

The very small town/village/hamlet of Gambo is a shining example of small town living. It’s not for everyone certainly, but it’s where community means something and the people are what make the town what it is. Everyone knows everyone and they look out for each other. Both the Mayor and his wife were Medal-Bearers that were nominated by the community for all the volunteering and hard work they do. The mayor has held his position for 26 years. The Relay entered Gambo on a day when the town was in mourning. An accident had just taken the lives of two of their residents and though the mayor and a few others were at our event and hosting a very nice homemade lunch with sandwiches and soups for all of our staff and the community who came out to celebrate and recognize their town’s Difference Makers, the mayor was confident that at that very time, someone was at the house of the grieving family providing support and delivering meals and aiding in any way they could. As a guest, we were welcomed unconditionally and you couldn’t help but feel a little sense of “Mayberry” all around you. I’ve spent the last 7 years living in large cities where you sometimes go weeks without seeing a neighbour and even when you do, you don’t know their name became everyone just stares at the floor or watches the numbers in the elevator when you take a ride together. It was quite refreshing and reassuring to know that places like Gambo, Newfoundland still exist.

Day 5 ended in Gander, NL, a small place that is home to Gander International airport. Gander was formerly used as an important refuelling point for transatlantic aircraft, and, to this day, is a preferred stopping point for transatlantic aircraft that need to land because of on-board medical or security emergencies. My grandad was stationed here in Gander during WWII and was here when my mom was born. He finally made it home to see her when she was 3 months old. Gander Airport also played a very important role during the early hours of September 11, 2001 when 39 transatlantic flights bound for the US were directed to land when Transport Canada and the FAA closed North American air space.
Well, there’s your history lesson on Gander! Hope you learned something!

Jonesy