Today the nation commemorates the seventh anniversary of September 11. Ceremonies were held throughout the country and citizens spent moments of silence remembering the nearly 3,000 Americans that had been killed.

What can I remember from that day seven years ago? I was in seventh grade, sitting in class when the secretary of my school rushed into the room exasperated. She said that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. At that time the significance of this defining day in history was lost amidst the young Canadian students in the class. We simply did not understand to what extent this would continue to impact the lives of not only Americans but Canadians as well. I remember we spent the afternoon watching footage from New York City and at the time details were not understood but the faces of the people on screen were enough to register with us that something monumental had just happened.

24 Canadians died in the attacks and memorial services are held in Toronto every year. There is a possibility that a national memorial will be build in addition to plaques that have already been placed on Parliament Hill. Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Stockwell Day reports, “It’s very important to remember and it’s important to remind people that Canada is not immune from threat and from risk, and seeing the family members of people who were killed… it reminds us of that.”

So unlike Hector Nazario, I cannot say that I was close to the wreckage and saw with my own eyes the thick clouds of smoke over Manhattan. But let me tell you, it wasn’t just the United States that was mourning. This event shook the world, and as a Canadian I felt the same anger, disbelief, shock, and sadness as anyone else.