World Trade Center steel arrives in Appleton

A seven-metre long piece of steel that used to be part of the World Trade Center in New York City has arrived in the central Newfoundland town Appleton.

"When you see the size of this piece of steel, twisted and turned like it is, you can only imagine the magnitude of the tragedy," said Appleton Mayor Derm Flynn.

Appleton is the only place in the province that has marked the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 every year.

After hijacked airplanes slammed into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., all flights in North American airspace were grounded.

Thousands of passengers and crew ended up staying in Newfoundland and Labrador for several days.

About 100 stranded passengers from 14 countries were put up in Appleton.

Donations from grateful passengers to the town, thanking the people for their hospitality, were used to build the Appleton Peace Park on the shoreline of the Gander River.

The town worked for more than a year to get the piece of steel, which arrived last week.

Town officials hope to have it displayed in the park by the spring of 2013.