Gander was the site of a major aircraft accident, Arrow Air Flight 1285, in 1985. 256 people, most American soldiers, were killed in the disaster, probably caused by ice contamination on the wings. The Arrow Air Crash was the worst air disaster ever on Canadian soil.

The Silent Witnesses Memorial was erected in response to the desires of the many families of the Arrow Air Crash victims throughout the United States.

The memorial depicts an American soldier standing atop a massive rock holding the hands of two civilian children. The children, a boy and a girl, each hold an olive branch. Behind them rise three tall staffs, each bearing a flag: Canadian, American and Newfoundland.

Photo: Douglas Sprott, flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0