On 9/11, Woman Says Halifax Opened Homes, Hearts: 'Remarkable People'

NEW YORK — Donna Fennikoh, who once lived on Long Island resident but was born in Brooklyn, was on a flight home from England on September 11, 2001 — the day the world changed forever.

"We were an hour from landing at JFK when the pilot announced that due to terrorist activity, all airspace over the U.S. was shut down and we would be diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia," Fennikoh said.

The terror mounted, she explained.

"We knew very little of what happened back home as we sat in the plane on the runway for some 20 hours. We didn't deplane until after 4 a.m. with nothing more than the clothes on our backs and our passports."

According to CBC.ca, 40 aircraft carrying more than 7,000 people were diverted to Halifax Stanfield International Airport on 9/11.

Far from home, with no answers to the mounting fear and uncertainty, in Halifax, those stranded found solace and human kindness that resonates 22 years later.

"Nova Scotians opened their arms and hearts to us," Fennikoh, who also spent summers in the Hamptons, said. "We were referred to as 'the plane people'. The entire town embraced us. We were completely taken care of. For everyone, 9/11 has a heavy connotation — but for me, it also reminds me of what humanity is."

Fennikoh had been traveling home with a man she was dating at the time. When they learned about the terror attacks, the couple "adopted" a young woman who had been traveling alone, as her husband had gone back to New York City before her.

"She was terrified because she was alone," Fennikoh said. So they kept her close and the young woman stayed with them the entire time.

Once in Halifax, Fennikoh said they were taken to the home of the Robinson family, with whom she still speaks today.

"In the midst of unspeakable tragedy and devastation, humanity shined through," she said. The Robinsons, she said, were "a family we'd never met until that day. We were given clothes, food, beds and comfort."

They spent five, life-altering days with the Robinsons before embarking on a 36-hour train ride home.

"They became my family that day, my Canadian family," Fennikoh said. "I love them dearly. We mustn't let evil prevail over good. The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. We need to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11. We owe it to those lost. We owe it to those who risk their lives every day to keep us safe."

The Robinsons, she said, were amazing. Their son, who has since died, was just a bit younger than Fennikoh, and in the years since, "it seems that the bond has grown even deeper between us."

Chris, the son who later died from illness at just 30, was a chef in training, Fennikoh said. "Every morning he cooked us the most amazing breakfast — French toast, diced potatoes, fresh fruit salad, eggs Benedict — you name it."

Looking back, Fennikoh said some memories are crystal clear. "Just how the Nova Scotians embraced us. Under the worst conditions, we were able to feel so safe and loved."

Unable to take anything at all from the plane due to security reasons, the passengers literally had nothing.

"They provided us everything we could’ve asked for, including healthcare, telephones. The whole town showed up — and they wouldn’t even take money, the whole five days we were there. We went to the mall to get clothes, and the shop owners didn’t even want our money. It was the most amazing thing — I felt like I was in a time warp because I was removed from New York."

While she wanted to get home so badly, Fennikoh said, at the same time, "What these people did for us restored our faith in humanity."

The Robinsons, she said, had just lost their husband and father six months earlier. "The reason they took us in, is because they felt it was something that he would want them to do. Truly remarkable people," she said.

The passengers, too, forged lifetime connections, she said. "We had another family; they were elderly, a couple in their 70s. They were Hungarian and the husband needed dialysis. We were able to hook him up and get him help the following Christmas. They invited us to their house in Queens for a Christmas party. It was the most authentic Hungarian food I ever had — and we were the only ones who weren’t over 70 at the party. It was amazing," Fennikoh said.

Despite the horror of 9/11, kindness triumphed over evil, Fennikoh said. "Such beautiful people."