My 9 -11 Story

Everyone who is old enough to remember Tuesday, September 11, 2001 has memories of that world and life changing day. I was still working as a Personal Support Worker for a local company. My job was to travel from client to client and help them get started for the day. Usually a bath, dressing, breakfast. and whatever else they needed done within the time frame given to me.

I should tell you the area where I was working was about ten blocks from the Ambassador Bridge which separates Detroit Michigan from Windsor, Ontario, where I live. This is one of the main border crossings between the United States and Canada.

On that Tuesday I was to be at a local nursing home with a partner by 8:30 a.m. to help feed a resident with Alzheimer's disease. When the first plane hit "Fergie" and I were feeding our resident in the lounge room where the other residents were watching an American morning news show. At first, the news readers weren't sure if it was an attack or an accident. By the time we had to leave, it was obvious it was an attack. The nursing home was located on the West side of Huron Church Road, the street which empty's at the entrance to the international bridge.

News spread fast among the staff and visitors to the facility, when I was leaving, I even ran into a cousin who was visiting his mother. No one knew what to make of the news yet. I called "Wilma", the lady who was watching my son, to ask her not to leave the house that day until we knew what was happening, she hadn't heard. I found out later, she and my son stayed in all day until I came to pick him up after work. "Fergie" and I said goodbye, and left to visit our other clients for the day.

My next client was living at home and needed a bath to start off. When I got to her home, I told her husband what happened and suggested he turn on the news. By the time I got her out of the bath, her husband told me a second tower was hit, and both buildings were engulfed in flame. This couple's home was located almost under the bridge - still on the west side of Huron Church Road - when you looked out of their back window you could see the trucks and cars on the bridge - NOT MOVING. When I finished at their home, I had one more stop to make.

My third place to visit was located on the East side of Huron Church Road. I had to cross that mess. Knowing the west end of the city helped, I was able to go around the bridge by other roads. I had my car radio on on the way to that lady's house, but after missing so much helping my previous clients, the sporadic messages confused me, I was having trouble figuring out exactly what happened. One announcer said something about a third plane crashing in a field, and another in Washington D.C. By the time I reached the third lady, I was thoroughly confused; on top of that. she told me one of the buildings collapsed!

I had work to do at her home, and since she was more aware of her surroundings, she tried to 'fill me in' on the happenings of the day while we did what had to be done for her.

Since Huron Church Road is a direct link to the Highway 401, part of the Trans Canada Highway system, the stopped traffic caused a back-up for several miles on Huron Church and on to the 401 highway. My trip back to the West Side of Huron Church - and home - would be more difficult. I forget when I heard the border had been closed. If I remember correctly it was closed for three days. This was the second time in my lifetime the Ambassador Bridge was closed. It was closed for three days when the Detroit riots occurred in the summer of 1967 (I am plenty old enough to remember seeing the flames from the buildings from the Windsor side of the river).

By the time I reached the closest crossing of Huron Church Road to my home, the Windsor Police Services were directing traffic. Hooray!

I didn't know what to expect when I arrived at Wilma's home, she, in her distress, was able to keep my son calm. She was watching the news, but not continually, and was keeping him busy with other things. The traffic on the local residential streets between my home and hers was not busy, and the end of the trip was calm. After supper, while my son was 'vegging' in his room, as he calls it; I turned on the news and tried to put together the events of the day.

What a horrific thing to happen, personally, I was just on the periphery of the events. My heart goes out to all those who had to face the 'fires' of that fateful day.

I remember...

Ambassador Bridge from the West Windsor side.

Have a peaceful day,

Phoebe Brown.