On a stunning September morning 23 years ago, hell, heartache and horror came from the skies. By the end of that terrible day, nearly 3,000 people were dead. It wasn’t a hurricane, earthquake, pandemic or tidal wave. The villains that day in New York, Washington and in a Pennsylvania field were religious fanatics juiced on hate and bloodlust. For many of us, 9/11 was the most profound day of our lifetime. It was our turn to deal with an event as monumental as the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

At the time of the attacks, I was working for the New York Post and was in the city when terror struck. For months I lived and breathed that horror with the knowledge that al-Qaida could attack and kill again at any time. Hundreds of terrorism attacks later, it appears as though Canada learned nothing from that day, comfortable in our anti-American smugness. We are the victims of our own peculiar faculty lounge aesthetic.

Right now, the signals are there that this country’s criminal complacency — particularly over the last nine years — will carry a heavy price in blood and tears when the cheque comes. Let’s take a peek at the last six weeks.

— Niagara Regional Police arrested Taha Sleiman, 21, in Niagara Falls. Cops alleged he was making improvised explosive devices, a terror treat if ever there was one. Sleiman was charged with making, possessing, care and control of an explosive device and unlawful possession of explosives.

— Pakistan citizen and Canadian resident Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, (what was he doing in this country?) was arrested in Quebec on his way to New York City. He had allegedly planned a massive attack on the Big Apple’s Jews. The timing was going to be … Oct. 7.

— Accused father-son terror tag team Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and Mostafa Eldidi, 26, were arrested at a Richmond Hill hotel in early August. RCMP alleged they planned to murder en masse at the behest of the Islamic State death cult.

On that day more than two decades ago in New York, my big question was how the 19 terrorists slipped into the country? We ask that daily in Canada now. Even as a Canadian citizen with a job at one of the country’s most famed newspapers, the INS still crawled all over me. In 2024, being a citizen or resident of Canada should rightly be met with suspicion at the U.S. border.

Like playing for the New York Yankees, killing a slew of Americans in the cradle of that country’s greatness is the apex of a terrorist’s career. America now knows their neighbour has embraced a troubling immigration policy — that threatens American lives. We’re just too stupid to believe there’s a bullseye on us, too.

How did someone like Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi breeze into the country apparently without scrutiny? How did he get citizenship? The FBI alleged that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan was shooting for the stars by planning to unleash “the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.” He is charged in Canada and the U.S. with participating in or supporting a terrorist group. Our government seems oblivious. There is little urgency. Steady ahead. Skip the scrutiny because, well, that might offend various diaspora voting blocks.

We’ll just keep our fingers crossed.

In the dark days after 9/11, I attended more funerals in a couple of months than most people do in a lifetime. Twenty-three years later, those days and mental images still linger. The fear hasn’t gone away either. It’s only increased. No amount of finger-crossing and virtue signalling will change that.

A National Security Crisis

The time to sensibly tighten our immigration policy and resource our national security apparatus is now. The recent arrests of individuals suspected of planning terror attacks in Canada and the U.S. highlight a growing threat that cannot be ignored. Canada's complacent attitude towards national security is a dangerous gamble with our lives. We cannot afford to be naive about the dangers of terrorism. The cost of inaction will be far greater than the price of vigilance.

Apathy and Denial

The Canadian government's response to these threats has been woefully inadequate. There is a disturbing lack of urgency and a disturbing tendency to prioritize political correctness over national security. Instead of taking concrete steps to address the problem, the government seems content to simply hope for the best, a strategy that is doomed to fail.

A Long History of Missed Opportunities

Canada's complacency is not a new phenomenon. Since 9/11, there have been numerous opportunities to strengthen our national security apparatus. However, these opportunities have been squandered, leading to a dangerous situation where we are now more vulnerable than ever. The current government's reluctance to take a tough stance on immigration has created a perfect breeding ground for terrorism, allowing individuals with extremist views to easily enter the country. The recent arrests of individuals suspected of planning attacks on American soil are a stark reminder of this dangerous trend.

The Time for Action is Now

Canada must wake up to the reality of the threats we face. We need a national security strategy that is based on a clear-eyed assessment of the dangers, not wishful thinking. We need to invest in our intelligence agencies and border security, and we need to be willing to take tough action against individuals who threaten our safety. We cannot afford to wait until it's too late. The time to act is now.

Canada's 9/11 Legacy: A Nation in Denial?

We owe it to those who lost their lives on that terrible day to learn from the past. We must not allow complacency to become our legacy. Canada must face the realities of the 21st century and take the necessary steps to protect its citizens from harm. We must not become the next victim of terrorism.