Maureen Basnicki: 9/11 Widow Slams CBC for Sanitizing History

Twenty-five years after 9/11, a Canadian widow who lost her husband in the World Trade Center attacks is speaking out against CBC guidance around the use of the word “terrorist.”Maureen Basnicki’s husband, Ken, was killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. She says there should be no ambiguity or guardrails needed around what happened that day: 9/11 was a terrorist attack.In this interview, Maureen explains why she believes sanitizing the language around 9/11 is insulting to victims and risks rewriting history. She also reflects on losing her husband, Canada’s response after the attacks, the remarkable story of Gander, and her push to make September 11 a National Day of Service.Twenty-five years later, she says remembering exactly what happened and why still matters.