On September 12, 2001, NATO invoked Article 5—the alliance’s collective defence clause—for the first and only time in its history, after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The North Atlantic Council agreed that evening that the attacks would be treated as covered by Article 5 once determined to be directed from abroad; that confirmation followed in early October 2001. Canada contributed significantly to the subsequent NATO-led mission in Afghanistan (2001–2014). The “Highway of Heroes” is the stretch of Highway 401 in eastern Ontario where convoys carried fallen Canadian soldiers’ remains from CFB Trenton to Toronto, with crowds often lining overpasses to pay tribute. During the mission, 158 Canadian Armed Forces members died in service, with thousands more injured—part of Canada’s solidarity with the U.S. and NATO allies after 9/11. Other NATO allies also suffered heavy losses: the United Kingdom around 457 personnel, France 90, Germany 62, Italy 53, Denmark 43, and others. Overall coalition military deaths are commonly reported around 3,500–3,600 for the 2001–2014 NATO/ISAF period, with non‑U.S. NATO members accounting for roughly 1,100–1,200 fatalities.