GANDER

town, northeastern Newfoundland, Canada. It lies just north of Gander Lake, 206 miles (332 km) northwest of St. John's. Gander has one of the largest international airports in North America. 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 became a province, the airport was acquired by the Canadian government. The modern 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. (1991) 10,339.