UFO sightings in Canada

Below is a partial list of alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects or UFOs in Canada.

According to a memo written by the Department of National Defence, sightings of unidentified flying objects in Canada occurred throughout the first half of the twentieth century. However, the Canadian government did not take interest in collecting information on sightings until 1947.[1]

1951, Gander, Newfoundland

On February 10, 1951, a U.S. Navy aircraft flying to Iceland from Gander reported a near-collision with a large, orange, circular UFO that “almost literally flew circles around" the American aircraft.[2]

1960, Clan Lake, Northwest Territories

On June 18, 1960, a prospector told the Yellowknife RCMP detachment that a month earlier, he and his partner saw a UFO at Clan Lake, located 30 miles north of Yellowknife. According to UFOlogist Chris Rutkowski, the men claimed they saw a hovering object 4 to 6 feet wide that hit the surface of the lake. The RCMP investigated, but found nothing.[3]

1967, Falcon Lake, Manitoba

Stefan Michalak claimed he was burned by one of two flying saucers with which he reportedly came into contact on May 19, 1967, near Falcon Lake, Manitoba. Ufologists claim that images of Michalak in the hospital show a grid of burn marks on his chest, and a similar grid appears burned into his T-shirt. Ufologists consider it to be one of the most documented UFO stories in Canada.[4]

Two books have been written on the alleged Falcon Lake occurrence:

  • (2017). Stan Michalak, Chris Rutkowski. When They Appeared Falcon Lake 1967: The inside story of a close encounter. ISBN 9781772800951
  • (2015). George Dudding. The Falcon Lake UFO Encounter. ISBN 978-1514246825

Skeptic Aaron Sakulich reviewed the report made by Michalak to police shortly after the incident, along with other evidence, and concluded that Michalak was indeed burned, but that the burns were likely caused by an accident brought on by alcohol consumption, and that Michalak, who was prospecting for silver ore near the lake at the time, probably made the story up to keep other prospectors out of the area.[5]

In April 2018, the Royal Canadian Mint released a $20 silver coin depicting the alleged event as part of its Canada's Unexplained Phenomena series, stating "According to Stefan Michalak’s account, two glowing objects descended from the sky on May 20, 1967, near Falcon Lake, Manitoba, where one landed close enough for him to approach. When the craft suddenly took flight, its emission set Michalak’s clothes ablaze, leaving him with mysterious burns… and an unusual tale to tell."[6][7]

1967, Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia

The incident was the purported crash of an unidentified flying object in Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia in October 1967. On October 1, 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint released a glow-in-the-dark coin depicting the sighting.[8]

1969, Prince George, British Columbia

In Prince George, British Columbia, three unrelated witnesses reported a strange, round object in the late afternoon sky on January 1, 1969. The sphere radiated a yellow-orange light and appeared to ascend from 2,000 to 10,000 feet.[9]

1975–1976, Southern Manitoba

Several sightings were reported of a red glowing UFO, sometimes described as "mischievous" or "playful", sighted in Southern Manitoba in 1975 and 1976.[10] The UFO was nicknamed "Charlie Redstar" by the public.[2]

1990, Montreal, Quebec

On November 7, 1990, in Montreal, Quebec, witnesses reported a round, metallic object of about 540 metres wide over the rooftop pool of the Bonaventure Hotel. Eyewitnesses saw 8 to 10 lights forming into a circle above them, emitting bright white rays. The phenomenon lasted three hours, from 7 to 10 p.m., and moved slowly northwards. While none could identify the lights, a few witnesses, according to the next day's report in La Presse, were ready to express their belief that they were visited by aliens.[11]

A few witnesses say what they saw in a televised interview on CBC.[12]

2010, Harbour Mille, Newfoundland and Labrador

During the night of January 25, 2010 there were multiple UFO sighting reports in Harbour Mille, Newfoundland and Labrador. Royal Canadian Mounted Police initially stated the reports were due to a missile launch, but later retracted the statement, and the Office of the Prime Minister stated that the UFOs were not missiles.[13] Another minor report of this incident came from Calgary where boys playing hockey reported seeing similar objects, about which they stated "We thought they were Transformers"

2014, Kensington, Prince Edward Island

While putting out a bonfire late in the evening of June 4, 2014, John Sheppard witnessed unusual lights in the sky over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and captured 22 minutes of it on his cellphone. After reporting the incident to MUFON and their investigation concluding it being a confirmed sighting, CBC covered the event.[14] The next day, CBC released a follow-up article in which a series of alternate explanations for the event were presented.[15]

Canadian UFO Survey results

According to the 2002 Canadian UFO Survey published by Ufology Research of Manitoba, Toronto had the largest number of sightings with 34, followed by Vancouver with 31 and Terrace, B.C. with 25 reports.[16] In 2002, a typical UFO sighting lasted approximately 15 minutes.

The Canadian Federal Government (as of 2007) directs all UFO sightings to Chris Rutkowski of Ufology Research of Manitoba.[16][17]

On July 15, 2018, a Canadian news site mentioned a new study conducted by Ufology Research, formerly known as Ufology Research of Manitoba, stating there were more than 1,000 UFO sightings reported in Canada in 2017.[18]

See also

References

  1. "Department of National Defence Memo on UFOs". Library and Archives Canada. 14 December 1954. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. Flanagan, Ryan (2019-07-02). "World UFO Day: 7 unexplained encounters in Canadian skies". CTVNews. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  3. Edwards, Tim. "'Something came in over the trees' 50 year-old UFO mystery remains unsolved near Yellowknife". NNSL. Northern News Services. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. "The Falcon Lake event: Canada's most famous UFO encounter". CBC Archive. CBC-Radio Canada. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  5. Sakulich, Aaron. "Stefan Michalak's Ridiculous Story". The Iron Skeptic. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  6. "1 oz. Pure Silver Glow-in-the-Dark Coin – Canada's Unexplained Phenomena: The Falcon Lake Incident – Mintage: 4,000 (2018)". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  7. "Royal Canadian Mint Releases Coin Depicting Manitoba Man's Ufo Encounter". thestar.com. The Toronto Star. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  8. CBC Kids News (October 4, 2019). "Glow-in-the-dark coin features Canada's most famous UFO sighting". cbc.ca. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  9. Canada's Unidentified Flying Objects: The Search for the Unknown at Library and Archives Canada
  10. Rutkowski, Chris; Dittman, Geoff (2006). The Canadian UFO Report: The Best Cases Revealed. The Dundurn Group. pp. 333 pg. ISBN 1-55002-621-6.
  11. "Montreal Mirror: "Montreal X-Files."". Archived from the original on 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  12. "CBC Archives".
  13. "No evidence UFO was rocket: PMO". CBC.ca. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  14. "'This is a really serious sighting': National UFO group confirms P.E.I. sighting".
  15. "A drone? A plane? P.E.I.'s UFO sighting disputed".
  16. "Ufology Research of Manitoba". Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  17. "Bio: Chris Rutkowski (Ufology Research of Manitoba)". Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  18. Timmins News, Sports, Entertainment, Business, Life & Opinion


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