Gander
Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Gander, town, northeastern Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It lies just north of Gander Lake, 206 miles (332 km) northwest of St. John’s. Gander is home to a major international airport. The site was selected as an air base in 1935 by the British Air Ministry, and transatlantic flights began in 1939. During World War II it was a vital base for air ferries to Britain and Atlantic patrol aircraft. In 1945 the base became a civil airport controlled by the Newfoundland government, and in 1949, when Newfoundland joined the Canadian confederation, the airport was acquired by the Canadian government. The airport became a principal stopover point in the early years of postwar transatlantic air travel, but its importance diminished with the introduction of long-range aircraft that did not require refueling. The present-day town, built on a new site a few miles from the field, was incorporated in 1954. Gander’s name derives from the river (and the abundant wild geese in the area) that feeds the lake. Pop. (2006) 9,951; (2011) 11,054.
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