Manitoba marks 25th anniversary of 9/11
Posted September 11, 2026 3:47 pm.
Last Updated September 12, 2026 11:16 am.
Friday marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks in the United States. Across the United States, Canada, and right here in Manitoba, it’s a day that carries a lot of weight for first responders, especially for firefighters.
“The courage and sacrifice we witnessed that day can’t be allowed to fade with time.”
2,977 people died on September 11, 2001, including 441 first responders in New York — 343 of whom were firefighters. The day was marked in Winnipeg on Friday morning by a ceremony hosted by the Winnipeg Police Service to honour the lives lost 25 years ago.
Mayor Scott Gillingham also spoke on the importance of the day and remembering Canadians lost that day and in the following conflict.
“For those who had family members pass away that day as Canadians, or for those who have loved ones or family members who gave their lives in Afghanistan or were forever changed by coming home from what they saw or endured in Afghanistan. We just stop today to take a moment to remember them as well,” said Gillingham.
Nick Kasper, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 867 and United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, says the sacrifices made that day continue to shape how firefighters understand the risks that come with the job.
“This sacrifice and this commitment is really baked into what we do in the fire service. It’s what it means to be a firefighter, and it’s our responsibility to uphold those traditions and their memory and make sure they’re never forgotten,” said Kasper.
In addition to the 343 lives lost on the day of the attacks, hundreds more firefighters died from occupational illness directly linked to September 11, and more than 10,000 firefighters continue to live with the effects.
“It just kind of highlights and is a staggering reminder of the occupational risks that firefighters face and that they carry for decades after the emergency is over,” said Kasper.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew also released a statement on the day.
“Today, let’s gather together to grieve the lives lost on that terrible day, to remember the Canadians who opened their hearts and homes, and to honour the Canadian men and women in uniform who laid down their lives in the aftermath to fight in the name of freedom,” said Kinew. “The ties that bind are stronger than any force that would try to divide us.”
