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Twenty-five years after losing her husband in the September 11 attacks, Canadian widow Maureen Basnicki is working to reshape how the world remembers that day. Rather than focusing on grief and destruction, she wants people to honour the values that terrorists tried to destroy — and to mark the anniversary through acts of service.
A Morning She Will Never Forget
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Basnicki was on a crew layover in a small town near Frankfurt, Germany. She turned on her television and watched the second plane strike the south tower of the World Trade Centre. Her husband, Ken Basnicki, 48, was in New York that day for work.
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“You can only imagine my shock and horror knowing Ken was there,” she said. “I didn’t know which tower he was in, but I knew he was in New York, and the rest is history.”
Without a cellphone, she rushed to the hotel lobby and asked the concierge to call Ken on her behalf. There was no answer. She begged the concierge to call again and leave her hotel number. Meanwhile, Ken had already called his mother back in Toronto. He knew Maureen was in Germany and had no phone to reach her directly.
“His last words to his mother were: ‘Mom, something horrible has happened. The room is full of smoke, the roof is blocked and I don’t know how I’m going to get out. I’m on the 106th floor of the World Trade Centre,'” Basnicki recalled.
Al-Qaeda terrorists had hijacked commercial aircraft and flown them into the Twin Towers. Ken Basnicki was among the nearly 3,000 people killed that day, including 24 Canadians.
Stranded Abroad While Her Family Grieved
The terrorist attacks immediately grounded all flights across North America. As a result, Basnicki remained stranded in Germany for three days. Her two children, aged 16 and 21, were back home in Toronto without either parent.
“I still get emotional when I think of it,” she said. “Thankfully, I had a great crew. I got support from other crew members and from the German people. People couldn’t do enough for me, but of course, I wanted to be home with my children.”
Even while trapped abroad, she already sensed the worst. “I knew when I was stuck in Germany that Ken was never going to come home,” she said.
In the years that followed, Basnicki channelled her grief into advocacy. She has worked tirelessly to support survivors of terrorism and to change the public conversation around September 11.
From a Day of Mourning to a Day of Service
Under the Harper Government, Basnicki successfully campaigned to have September 11 officially designated as Canada’s National Day of Service, on the tenth anniversary of the attacks. That designation reflects her broader vision for how Canadians should mark the date.
“It’s imperative for me, and for history’s sake, for young people to understand that what happened that day was a global event,” she said.
She draws a distinction between “never forget” and “always remember.” For Basnicki, the difference matters. She wants people to remember the outpouring of compassion and solidarity that followed the attacks, not just the horror that caused them.
“9/11 was an attack on our values — a shared value with the United States. It was an attack on democracy,” she said. “I like to think we can celebrate our values that day instead of dwelling on the hate and horror.”
On the eve of this year’s anniversary, Basnicki helped organize a “Service Day” dinner at the Albany Club in downtown Toronto. The event honoured Canadian military personnel who served in Afghanistan, first responders, and community service workers. Tables were decorated with red and white linens, and recording artist and anthem singer Robert Pilon performed at the event.
Honouring Ken and Looking Forward
Basnicki describes her late husband as a man defined by service. He coached his children’s sports teams, organized community events, and ran an annual Labour Day volleyball tournament. “He put his family ahead of his work. He had his priorities right,” she said.
She encourages all Canadians to mark September 11 with a personal act of service. Suggestions she offers include participating in the Terry Fox Run, donating blood, or simply buying a coffee for a police officer or firefighter.
“Just a small way — everybody can do that,” she said. “Go beyond the political rhetoric. Find your own personal capacity, a way of saying we live in a very great country and we love our values here.”
Although the day remains deeply personal, Basnicki refuses to let it be defined only by loss. “For me, it was a death day for my beloved Ken,” she said. “But life is beautiful and I’m very proud of my country.”
She also continues to advocate for new legislation to combat terrorism. And she holds on to a vision for a living memorial — one built not from stone, but from the actions of ordinary people. “We have yet to define the day,” she said. “There’s no physical memorial, but let’s have a living one.”
