Written by Peter Rothstein
Our flight from Toronto was delayed, so we spent quite a bit of time in the Toronto airport, which is not unlike most international airports—other than the Tim Horton’s on every concourse telling us we were indeed in Canada. We eventually boarded a relatively small plane taking us to Gander, Newfoundland. Gander is the most eastern corner of North America; our flight from Toronto to Gander was actually longer than our flight from Atlanta to Toronto.
As we landed you could see the large sign on the roof of the airport: WELCOME TO GANDER. We disembarked the plane on the runway and entered a pristine airport, modest in size but impressive in style. The airport’s International Lounge is a who’s who of midcentury modern, boasting a wood paneled escalator and furniture designed by the likes of Klaus Nienkamper, Robin Bush, Charles and Ray Eames.
Gander International airport was once the largest airport in the world. The construction began in 1936; it opened in 1937 and quickly became the main staging-point for Allied aircraft during World War II. Its location made it ideal for refueling and repairing bombers flying overseas.
We picked up our rental car from the agent, “Here are the keys. She’s parked right outside.” No multi-page forms to sign, no complicated gates as we navigated our exit. We were nearing sunset so rather than check into our hotel we drove straight to Dover Fault, a stunning vista and a key location in Come from Away.
Dover Fault is a tectonic boundary, a place where continents that were once part of African and Europe collided. Over time they welded together to form the island of Newfoundland. The ancient metaphor was not lost on me: two continents colliding to form something new, something of remarkable beauty. We had indeed arrived someplace truly special.