Sept. 11 first responders tell of Canada-U.S. bonds at B.C. border ceremony

SURREY – New York first responders on Sept. 11, 2001, have spoken of the enduring bonds between Canada and the United States at a ceremony along the border between British Columbia and Washington state to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

They were among hundreds of first responders, military and border officers and dignitaries from both countries at the annual Northwest 9/11 Memorial ceremony at the Peach Arch monument between Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Wash. on Friday.

Retired New York firefighter Cody Stamberger said in an interview that he wasn’t scheduled to work that morning, but left a doctor’s appointment to head in to Manhattan as soon as he saw what was happening. 

While he believes his roster that day may have saved his life, Stamberger said he was “extraordinarily angry” not to have been with his fellow firefighters the whole time.

The third-generation firefighter said “shoulder to shoulder” solidarity was on display between the two countries at the memorial, decorated with rows of Canadian and U.S. flags.

Stamberger said the event showed the ongoing trade dispute between Canada and the United States “doesn’t matter” when it came to honouring those killed that day.

“This is about society. This is about togetherness, unity, and honour,” he said, describing how Canadian teams had joined Sept. 11 rescue efforts, and the Canadian military fought in Afghanistan.

“We play the game together, and we always have. We’ve done it through everything. D-Day? We stormed the beaches together.”

Retired New York fire department paramedic Roberto Abril was also at the Peace Arch memorial.

His paramedic partner Carlos Lillo died in the attacks.

Abril said in an interview that the scale of the tragedy had humbled him and given him a reason to “love everybody.”

The retired paramedic has now attended four services at the arch, and said he had been surprised how Canadians and Americans alike “opened their hearts to us, as if we are a family.”

Abril spoke from the stage and joked he had become “older, wiser and wider” in the years since the terrorist attacks, but the moment of levity gave way to him speaking emotionally about enduring grief of losing Lillo. 

“I cannot think of a better individual. Even after all these years, I have not met anyone quite like him. He was a great human being,” Abril told the crowd. 

“He had a way of making people feel that they mattered. He cared, he served, he gave, and he loved. He was taken from us far too soon.” 

Shawn Crowley, U.S. consul general in Vancouver, told the crowd Canada was among nations that day that “took actions and made statements that sent the clear message that Americans were not alone.”

He said commemorative events demonstrate how “the memory of that day and the connection between our peoples endures.”

Crowley said this year also marked 250 years of American independence, and 165 years of consular presence in British Columbia. 

“These anniversaries remind us that the ties between our people have been built over generations. They have been tried by difficult times, by natural disasters, even by war,” Crowley said. 

“They endure because whatever our differences may be, and at times they are many, we are there for each other when it matters the most.” 

B.C.  Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia reminded those gathered that the Peace Arch is emblazoned with the words “may these gates never be closed.”

“For generations, those words have expressed a wish, but 25 years ago, they became a responsibility,” Cocchia said. “The images of 9/11 will remain seared in our memories forever, but so too will the courage.” 

Cocchia said the Peace Arch “represents so much more than a shared border” between the two countries. 

“It represents friendship and trust and a shared responsibility. In some of the world’s darkest hours, we saw some of the very best of humanity. People helping people, not asking, where are you from?”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.