UFO Canada Yurko Bondarchuck
HECHO EN WINNIPEG, CANADA PRINTED IN CANADA 1. The Photographic Evidence 2. UFO
Landings and Physical Traces 3. Physical Reactions to Sightings 4. UFO Occupants
5. UFO Abductions 6. UFOs and Military Installations 7. Military Pilot Sightings
8. UFOs and Energy Generating Sites 9. The E. M. Effect and Power Blackouts 10.
UFOs and Radar Sites 11. Civilian Pilot Sightings 12. The Canadian Government
and UFOs 13. Future Scenarios Hamilton, Ontario March 29-30, 1966 The only other
known Canadian case involving physical contact with a UFO took place in
Hamilton, Ontario, about a year prior to the Michalak incident. At about 9:15 PM
on the evening of March 29, thirteen year-old Charles Cozens was strolling
through a field behind the Hamilton Police Station. Suddenly, a luminous oval
object descended from the evening sky heading toward him, closely followed by
another. Alarmed, the boy took cover behind a fence, from where he could watch
the spectacle. As the metallic craft settled into the grass, he could hear a
distinctive buzzing sound. Along the rim of the objects, which were about eight
feet in diameter, he noticed a string of multicoloured lights, illuminating the
surrounding grass, "flickering like a computer."1 A few moments later, Charles
decided to approach the objects for a closer look. As he stood beside one of
them, he was suddenly overcome with the irresistible urge to touch it, which he
did. He was surprised to find that the surface was hard and smooth,. similar to
polished metal. "I could not feel hot or cold so they must have been about body
temperature,"2 he recounted. One of the craft had a long gun-like antenna
protruding at one end, and Charles noted that "it was thicker at the base 45 and
narrowed to the size of a nickel at the top."8 He touched the antenna; there was
a flash and he received an electric shock. Terrified, he ran away toward the
police station. I was running to tell someone,... - but when I looked back, they
were gone and I thought the police would not believe me, so I ran home to tell
my parents.4 His parents noted the three-inch yellowish burn mark on his hand
and thoroughly questioned him before notifying the authorities. Forty-eight
hours after the incident, his father drove to the hospital to have him examined
for possible radiation. The diagnosis revealed that he was suffering from a
harmless first-degree burn which healed within a week.5 Even though Charles had
been in direct contact with the craft, he did not suffer additional adverse
effects. The following night, Lawrence E. and his brother Owen, two other
Hamilton youths, reported seeing two objects "unlike anything they had ever seen
before, flying low over the city."6 While they couldn’t distinguish their shapes
against the night sky., they both said the flashing red, blue and green lights
were accompanied by "a whirring noise, not at all like an aircraft." The
sighting left both these boys extremely shaken. Checking out the story for
publication, Hamilton Spectator reporters were advised by Air Canada that no
aircraft had passed over the Hamilton sky at 11:15 PM, the time the objects had
been viewed. Both these incidents coincided with a week-long wave of other
sightings that had occurred in southern Ontario—between Windsor to Toronto. It
was by far the most intensive and widely reported UFO "flap" ever recorded in
Canada. Disturbed by these ufological manifestations, William D. Howe
(NDP-Hamilton South) asked in the House of Commons that the government reveal
what type of investigations Canada was conducting. In response, the then
Associate Minister of National Defence, Leo Cadieux, assured Mr. Howe that be
would instruct the Defence Research Board "to initiate an investigation 46 which
would have the results for which the honourable member is hoping."7 It was never
revealed whether the Defence Research Board or any other related agency ever
investigated the week-long sightings. But the UFO flurry, coupled with
increasing parliamentary concern, appeared to have sparked an open era of
government investigations. In the ensuing two years, the office of the Defence
Directorate of Operations (DOPS) at Canadian Forces Headquarters in Ottawa was
put in charge, of examining reported sightings; many of them, after close
scrutiny, remained unexplained and unidentifiable. Although never openly
admitting the possible existence of UFOs, DOPS went so far as to state that they
did not pose a threat to national security. (See Chapter 12, "The Canadian
Government and UFOs.") 1 Hamilton Spectator, April 2, 1966. 5 (CAPRO) Bulletin,
Vol. 2, No. 2 (January-February 1969) p. 9, 6 Hamilton Spectator, op. cit. 7
House of Commons Debates, April 21, 1966 (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer) p. 41-49.
Winnipeg, Manitoba OCTOBER 22, 1967 This, October, 1967 sighting demonstrates
the wide range of symptoms manifested by UFO witnesses, as well as the apparent
UFO interest in high-voltage transmission lines and communications
installations. It is also one of the rare occurrences of a UFO reported over a
densely populated urban area - in this case a suburb of the City of Winnipeg.
This incident took on an added dimension of intrigue with the discovery of
footprints that strongly suggested the presence of UFO occupants. The principal
witnesses, two new home salespersons in the suburb of Charleswood, were locking
up for the night, when they noticed a peculiar formation of brilliant red lights
over the adjacent field. Their curiosity quickly turned to astonishment when
they realised that the three mysterious lights were floating in mid-air.
Although no shapes could be discerned, both observers felt sure the two- or
three-foot-wide pulsating lights were part of larger craft obscured by the night
sky. As they watched the bizarre spectacle, they were joined by six people who
had stopped their station wagon to view the lights. Moments later, two similar
vessels appeared and took up a position alongside the formation. One of them lit
up the low cloud cover from where it had descended. 47 The noiseless objects
then rose and moved away in formation, floating over the nearby Perimeter
Highway, they appeared to change positions, now forming a geometrically perfect
triangle. With his binoculars, one of the salespeople, Mr. Edward Fortney, was
now able to make out the shape of the craft against the lighter background of
the sky. He described them as "rectangular blobs of black glass that the lights
emanated from." The formation, now visibly dipping and bobbing like ping-pong
balls, then headed toward a line of high-voltage hydro towers running parallel
to the highway, half a mile away. As the craft approached the towers, the
leader’ descended to within fifteen feet of the wires. In the words of Mr.
Fortney, a former electrical technician with the RCAF: The three lights forming
a triangle broke formation and strung out behind their leader. Now’ they really
hustled south above the wires in single file. I could see the wires light up
with a red glow as they sped south over them, and the towers lit up as they
passed over them also. I estimated their speed at least 125 mph as they flew
over the wires. It was very noticeable.2 Then Mr. Fortney was called to the
telephone to speak with a radio announcer who had been notified of the
occurrence by one of the witnesses. When asked whether the craft were still
visible, he looked out and saw them hovering above a high elevation TV
transmission tower, a few miles to the southwest. The three lights over the
tower now pulsated quite strongly with an orange-red brilliance. The ‘sight I
now saw appeared like a giant neon arrow pointing to the sky. The lights on the
shaft were a little smaller and steady, with the arrow head brilliantly
pulsating.3 After about five minutes, the craft broke formation and were last
seen travelling northwest in single file. Later on his way home, Mr. Fortney
experienced a sudden headache - in his own words, "a real skull-buster," - which
persisted till about midnight. The following day, he returned 48 to the field
site, where at first he discovered a peculiar circular pile of fist-sized
stones. Then he noticed several tracks of small child-like footprints in the
moist soil, leading to and from the stone pile and radiating out towards three
areas of footprint concentrations. In his own words, It was as though they were
all crowding to get into or onto a ladder of their flying machines. From the
three trampled areas, sets of footprints in straight lines radiated out...
always in pairs, as if they were soldiers with a definite job to do. Estimated
by the tracks, at least eight creatures were involved.4 The indentations were
unique in that the heel marks seemed to be deeply pressed in the soil,
indicating the probable absence of any ankle movement! Although they somewhat
resembled normal shoe prints—the front came to a point and the back left a
rounded Cuban-heel style depression—any further similarity with human footwear
ended there. There were no tread marks, nail heads or cracks on either the sole
or the heel parts. Also, the prints were extremely small by our standards; a
mere seven inches in length and only two and three quarters- inches across the
sole. If they were children, how come they had all the same type and size of
footwear?... We estimated they weighed between forty and fifty pounds by
comparing the depressions left by our footprints!5 That same day, as word of the
sighting spread, representatives from the RCAF, the RCMP, the Tucson-based
Aerial Phenomena Research Organisation and the mass-media converged on the site.
Before going to bed that night, Mr. Fortney felt a slight ache in his legs and
he had a "hot sensation," like a sunburn on his face and hands. The next day,
the leg pain intensified and spread to his back and kidneys. A few days later
these aches were replaced by a hot feeling in his thighs, followed a month later
by a chilled feeling which persisted until January. He also had a metallic,
copper-like taste lingering in his mouth. Then, seven weeks after the incident,
on December 10, an alarming yelIow-green coating appeared on his tongue and he
immediately sought medical attention. Blood tests 49 revealed he was suffering
from dehydration and a significant drop in his white blood cell count. The
symptoms soon disappeared and Mr. Fortney remains convinced these symptoms were
caused by exposure to some form of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the
UFOs. Predictably, the RCAF quickly replaced all this "extraterrestrial"
speculation with a more "down to earth" explanation. The UFOs were dismissed as
four RCAF Otters of the 402 Auxiliary Squadron en route to Minot, North Dakota
to pick up a pipe band which was returning from a trip to Texas!6 1 Fortney,
Edward, Signed statement. (Winnipeg: The Manitoba Centre for UFO Studies,
Winnipeg Planetarium, Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, c/o Edward Barker.
January 1968) p. 6. 2 Ibid., p. 6. 3 Ibid., p. 7. 4 Ibid., p. 9. 5 Ibid., p. 10.
6 Winnipeg Tribune, October 25, 1967. Abee, Alberta July 16, 1969 In Abee,
Alberta, a ten-year-old girl experienced temporary loss of vision after staring
directly into the bright under-carriage of a UFO, not more than ten feet away
from her. As corroborative evidence, the craft also produced foliage damage in
the immediate vicinity of the sighting. The incident took place on July 16, 1969
at about 3:30 PM near the small town of Abee, sixty miles northeast of Edmonton.
Following the sighting, Ashley Pachal and Gilbert Funk of the UFO Society of
Edmonton drove to Abee where they interviewed the principal witness, Sylvia
Annola and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Annola. Here is the transcript of
that interview. Sylvia: I was reading and I heard this noise and I ran to the
door and flung it open and... (I saw) this big gray thing above the well, and it
was about to land, and the lights on the bottom sort of blinded me. Pachal: Now
it was daylight at the time? S: Yes. P: What did these lights look like? S: Well
they were just a glow like, of light... sort of real bright. P: What colour? S:
Silver. P: Were there just lights at the bottom or did the whole object glow? 50
S: The whole object glowed a little bit but the lights at the bottom were really
bright. They’re just a little round thing of lights. P: Was it close to the edge
of the object or close to the middle? S: The middle on the bottom. P: So there
were lights in the middle; there weren’t any around the edges. Can you describe
the object a little bit? S: Well, it looked almost like a hat. P: Had it rounded
edges or sharp edges? S: Rounded edges. P: What kind of hat? S: Well like a top
hat. P: The corners weren’t as sharp? S: No. P: Was there anything on top that
looked like a cabin or anything? S: ...No. P: Any antennas, or anything sticking
up? S: No. P: So all you saw was this object with the lights on the bottom...
Well you saw this object coming down, now could you tell a little more of what
you did then? S: Well after I thought it had gone, and I was blinded, I came in
and told mummy about it, and in the meantime I was bumping into everything. P:
O.K.... now I think we went a little bit fast there. You saw the object coming
down and... ran outside. How close were you to it at the nearest point? S: Oh
about ten feet. P: It was right above you, or beside you? S: Well sort of away
from me and above me. P: I see. And you were looking right into the light? S:
Yes. P: Have you ever seen a photo flash bulb or an electric welder? S: Yes. P:
Would you say it was as bright as an electric welder? S: Brighter. P: ... and
you say you were blinded? S: Yes. P: For about how long? S: Oh about half an
hour. 51 P: Were your eyes sore after that for a few days? S: Yes. P: (turning
to the parents) Have any of you people anything to add...? Edwin Annola
(father): I was in one of the outbuildings and I could hear.... well I actually
thought... there’s a steel table down the hill with a vise on it and quite often
she used to put things in this vise and use a file on it, you know kind of
copying what I was doing, and I could hear this sort of zew... zew... zew... zew
zew... and then it would speed up until it went zew zew zew zew zew, and I
thought she must really be working out there. And then the noise died out, and
in the meantime that’s when she saw the flying saucer. Now, after it disappeared
we... were all standing there, and... we could hear voices... sounds like a
two-way radio... there was a police car parked at the corner something over a
mile or so from here, and there was an accident at the corner. Now whether this
UFO and this accident have something in common I don’t know, but anyway the
driver of the car left the highway, over the approach, and straight into a
telephone pole: he was dead instantly. Mrs. A. (mother): He was dead before he
hit. E.A.: So they figure. But the point is this, that the car was that far
away, had the window rolled down, and we could hear every word on his’ two-way
radio, the air was so electrified, or clear, or whatever you want to call it.
That sound carried a long way. (It was suggested that the radio could have been
connected to the car’s outside speakers.) P: .... and you figure that this
should have happened pretty well at the same moment that this. E.A.: The
accident and the UFO should have been almost the same time. Mrs. A.: She said it
seemed to come from northward, and the car was going north. P: The driver of the
car could have seen this and it could have distracted him and caused him to go
off the road. E.A.: We noticed the dog was missing... but this dog had never
left home, positively never, as long as we were home. So I jumped into a
half-ton [truck] and went every which way you could think of, but no dog. He
answers to a bicycle horn if he’s away out in a field or something... We tried
the horn... no results. The dog was gone. So I happened to go outside, oh... I’d
say half an hour later after this happened, and there he was, cringing under a
gate. Now he loved riding in vehicles. I opened the door, and I said "Tanny come
on." He wouldn’t move. I had to get out and pick him up and put him into the
vehicle. And when I brought him home he was looking all around, and slunk out of
the car, which was not his nature at all. P: Well these objects have been known
to emit high pitched sounds which dogs can hear, and it bothers them, and I
think that when this came around this must have been what happened. G Funk: It
also gives them a frightening experience, which is not uncommon in many reports
that we have seen where animals have often shown an adverse attitude, one of
cringing or fear.... It is very interesting, and notable that you should come
out with this story. P: This is a little bit more than most dogs have done
though. A lot of them are scared but they don’t leave home... yours left home.
E.A.: He left home. That’s for sure he left home. And he was not what you would
say a mild-mannered dog by a long ways. He stuck up for his rights you know and
nobody, betted him around, but this one time he left home and didn’t want to
come back. From the well there when it left it took off in a north-westerly
direction, and the path... well it raised up to get over the trees, and the
trees were burnt you know... you could see it, well we showed a lot of people.
And the leaves they just dried upon the trees, you know, and they stayed there
over the winter.1 Damage to vegetation, both at ground and tree-top level, is
one of the more commonly reported side effects related to the presence of UFOs.
However, most of the damage seems to be caused by exposure to heat, believed to
be microwave radiation. It is not known whether in this particular case, the
foliage was subjected to tests. 1 Ashley Pachal, "When a UFO Came to Abee,"
Flying Saucer Review: Case Histories, Supplement 15 (June 3, 1973), do
Compendium Books, 281 High Street, London, NW 1, England. 53 Chapter 4 UFO
Occupants Of all the UFO incidents recorded over the years, none have triggered
more controversy and more skepticism, hot to mention emotional reaction, than
those which involved occupants. Even people who may entertain the feasibility of
UFOs, find the notion of intelligent extra-planetary beings visiting the earth
somewhat more difficult to accept. The tendency to scoff at the presence of such
alien beings is rooted in misinformation, myth and fear. Only a few centuries
ago most everyone knew that the world was flat; any other claims were
unacceptable. Understandably, stories of alien visitations would be in direct
conflict with the established beliefs of most people raised on the premise that
humanity is at the centre of the universe. The concept of such a universe
teeming with intelligent life also poses a ticklish dilemma for those whose
spiritual convictions revolve around an exclusive, symbiotic relationship
between God and humanity. If ufonauts do exist, how could they fit into this
type of spiritual order? There are other factors contributing to the credibility
gap. In a world dominated by such negative forces as con-artists, growing
political and religious corruption, un-fulfilled personal dreams and
sensationalist mass media, most people have learned to mistrust what they cannot
see for themselves. It was mass media that characterised early occupant reports
as nothing more than the delusions of people who claim to see "little green men
from Mars." Yet, the same mass media that has neglected to explore one of the
greatest stories of all time, is now capitalising on the mass audience
fascination with our final frontier - space. In spite of this "popular" and
"mainstream" trend, serious 54 UFO researchers are still confronted with
widespread skepticism whenever sightings involving passengers arise. Iconoclasts
ask, "Where is the proof? Where is the irrefutable evidence?" Justifiably so. My
response is, "Where have you looked?" if you solely rely on mass media for the
story behind the story, you tan only expect negligible coverage of the mounting
evidence confirming occupant presence. Admittedly, no one, to my knowledge, has
yet successfully managed to photograph any of these alien travellers. Nor have
UFO occupants landed in New York’s Central Park and then asked to be allowed to
address the General Assembly of the United Nations. Instead, a growing number of
reputable scientists and researchers have been steadily accumulating a
collection of undisputable proof such as suspected footprints and credible
testimonies by witnesses under hypnosis. Part of the difficulty in obtaining
better evidence stems from the fact that UFO beings seem to be reluctant to let
themselves be seen. They prefer to remain undetected while conducting their
"earthly" activities. This may explain why the majority of occupant sightings
occur in isolated, peripheral areas, usually at night time, with a peak between
9 and 10 PM.1 An insight into the habits of occupants comes from the Mutual UFO
Network (MUFON), the respected research organisation based in Seguin, Texas,
comprised of hundreds of researchers who work together with a board of
consultants representing virtually every discipline from bacteriology to nuclear
physics.2 Contrary to the popular belief that sightings of UFO beings are
extremely rare, researchers froth MUFON’s Humanoid Study Group (HSG) have
compiled a long list of such cases-over 1,600 different entity incidents. In the
words of HSG co-chairman, physicist David Webb: "Many of the reports are
well-documented, first-hand investigations involving credible witnesses."3 The
MUFON study is considered to be the most complete in existence. In Canada,
biologist John B. Musgrave, 55 MUFON Provincial Director for Alberta has
similarly put together an impressive compendium of entity incidents, which lists
a total of forty-eight Canadian cases, five of which have been included in this
chapter.4 Attempts to come up with a composite description of UFO entities are
complicated by the variety of beings reported. But if we overlook the number of
species that have been reported, the one characteristic they all seem to share
is their "humanoid" appearance. This means they walk upright, have two arms, two
legs, a torso and a bead. in a paper presented to the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics in September 1975, Cornell University physicist and
aeronautics specialist Dr. Robert M. Wood went so far as to suggest that: It is
evident that if some of the hundreds of occupant reports are correct, a common
biological origin with homo sapiens is a significant possibility.5 Dr. Wood also
estimated that as many as a thousand different extraterrestrial civilisations
must have been involved in earth visitations throughout history. From the wide
spectrum of reported species, the humanoids can be divided into three general
categories-the dwarves, the man-like entities and the giants/robots. Dwarves.
The most frequently reported of all the humanoids, the dwarves, average from 0.7
to 1.2 meters in height.6 If it were not for their thin physiques, they would
probably resemble humans with pituitary gland problems. Unlike the popular image
of "little green men from Mars," they are neither green, nor do they appear to
come from Mars. Their complexion has been described as "very pale," often
bordering on white, although reddish and bluish skin colours have occasionally
been mentioned.7 In spite of anatomical variations from species to species, they
are usually 56 characterised as having large, bald heads, with elongated,
slanted eyes, small mouths and noses and pointed ears.8 The majority wear
clothing resembling space suits with breathing apparatus. In one landing
incident, five dwarves were reported to have been wearing bright yellow suits
with yellow headgear.9 Other dwarfish humanoids do not require life support
systems, and it must therefore be concluded that they feel comfortable breathing
our air. As to their wardrobe, the entire spectrum of colours has been reported,
including silvery gray, khaki, red, and luminous.’0 Man-like Entities: Next in
frequency of appearance are beings bearing a striking resemblance to man with
regard to size and facial features.11 They have been described as thin, having
long arms and legs, slanted eyes, light skin and, in some cases, long blond
hair. Aside from these physical similarities with man, their behaviour also
seems to be human-like in terms of movements, gestures and attitudes. At times,
witnesses have reported being addressed in their native tongues.2 In rare cases,
female humanoids were seen accompanying what were presumably the male ufonauts.
Wherever humanoids were accompanied by dwarf-like beings, the humanoids appeared
to be coordinating all the activities, suggesting that they may hold a higher
social standing than the dwarves. The man-like entities seem to be perfectly at
ease breathing our air, and are usually seen clad in skin-tight garments. Three
such entities observed outside Rosedale, Alberta wore khaki skin-tight outfits
with see-through fabric covering their faces, somewhat reminiscent of bank
robbers with nylon stockings over their heads.13 Giants/Robots. Both the giants
and the robots represent the fringe of humanoid sightings. Primarily reported in
South America, the giants appear to be multi-specied; some are as tall as
eighteen feet.14 They are the least human-like of all the entities - being
variously one-eyed, ten feet tall, black-faced, 57 with bushy black hair and in
some instances with three unblinking eyes and "melon beads". The infrequently
seen robots differ from the humanoids in that their movements are stiff and
mechanical, while they appear angular and machine-like. In June 1974, in a well
documented case outside Drummondville, Quebec, a couple allegedly watched
fifteen "robot-like" creatures with neon-like bars across their bodies
inspecting the couple’s trailer home.15 What are the possible origins of these
UFO occupants? Without adequate data many theories have been put forward. Some
people believe that UFOs and their pilots originate in the Center of a hollow
earth, or that certain humanoids are descendants of a lost and obscure
underwater civilisation; others see the uninhabited polar ice caps as a place
from which they could possibly come. Based on the assumption that intelligent
life is not restricted to the planet Earth but exists as a natural phenomenon
elsewhere in the universe, the majority of researchers have. subscribed to the
theory that UFOs are extra-planetary in origin. At the "Conference on
Communication with extraterrestrial Intelligence" (CETI) held in September 1971
at the Byurakan Observatory in Soviet Armenia, Cornell University astronomer Dr.
Carl Sagan estimated that in our galaxy alone there are at least one million
advanced technical civilisations!16 Other scientists believe the figure to be
even higher. Dr. S.S. Huang, formerly of the Goddard Flight Center and now at
Dearborn Observatory, Northwestern University, has "estimated that the number of
inhabitable solar systems is about three to five per cent of the number of
stars." This would lead to eight billion inhabitable systems in our Milky Way
galaxy.alone.17 Dr. Robert M. Wood goes so far as to suggest that: ...to get
such a variety and frequency of visitors, one must assume they come far, and so
hyperoptic travel (velocity in excess of the speed of light) must be routine;
possibly a few come from nearby galaxies.18 Confronted with the prohibitive
distances which separate 58 our solar system with the nearest star systems, an
increasing number of researchers are now rejecting the established
extraterrestrial hypothesis in favour of the para-dimensional theory which,
simply stated, proposed that UFOs originate from other time-space dimensional
realities - from a kind of parallel universe extra-dimensional boundaries are
crossed via corridors or "vortexes" which interconnect our world with another
space-time continuum. The mystery shrouded Warminster-Stonehenge region in
England, the so-called Bermuda Triangle, the Devil’s Triangle in the North
Pacific south of Japan, and the Great Lakes Triangle are considered to be some
of the more notable "vortex" passages.19 Materialisation and demineralisation of
UFOs frequently noted over these areas reinforce belief in this theory. (See
Chapter 7, "Military Pilot Sightings".) Recent findings by
physicist-cosmologists tend to suggest the likelihood of the existence of such
parallel worlds where our traditional physical laws no longer apply. According
to Cambridge University black-hole theorist Stephen Hawking, entrance to these
different branches of the universe could be gained through any one of the
billions of special-category black holes to be found in our galaxy alone.20
Another hypothesis closely tied in with this theory and held by a minority of
researchers is that the UFO beings are future generations of human time
travellers visiting the twentieth century. While this theory might account for
the man-like appearance of some of these creatures, it fails to explain the
physiological diversity of the remaining species. Another less popular theory
has been advanced by psychologist Dr. Michael Persinger at Laurentian University
in Sudbury. He combines geophysical electromagnetic and geological stresses hi
of mistaken for UFOs by emotional reactions.21 Admittedly, this theory may be
valid in certain instances, but it fails to consider the overwhelming physical
evidence for the 59 presence of geometrically shaped craft capable of displaying
inconceivable aerodynamic maneuvers. A relatively recent hypothesis that is
gaining in popularity is the notion that UFOs can best be understood as
parapsychological phenomena. Advocates of this theory cite the prevalence of
wide-ranging paranormal effects in association with UFO sightings, such as
levitation of humans and animals, materialisation and demineralisation of UFOs,
clairvoyant visions by witnesses prior to sightings, post-sighting healing, and
the recurring sightings which seem to plague certain witnesses.22 Critics point
to the limitations of this theory in taking into account recognised physical UFO
properties. While the psychic aspect of the mystery is undeniable, we cannot
exclude the possibility that some of these paranormal manifestations may, in
fact, have their origin in some as yet undiscovered physical laws. Faced with
the dilemma that no one theory seems adequately to encompass all facets of the
phenomenon, many researchers are now turning towards the "pluralistic" or
"unified hypothesis," which recognises the potential diversity In other words,
in the origin equation different hypotheses, applicable to different time-space
frameworks, must be considered. Having established the probability of the
multiple origins can now ask the question, why are the all here?" While the
reported range of observed UFO occupant activities is predictably diverse, it
appears that collectively most visitations are aimed at conducting
investigations of humans and the world they live in. Such missions can be broken
down into three distinctive areas of interest - natural environment, man-made
structures and observation of humans. Natural Environment. In most parts of the
world, including Canada, UFO entities have been spotted picking, plucking,
uprooting and collecting samples of vegetation, natural and cultivated, such as
flowers, shrubs, twigs, grass, herbs, leaves, lavender and tomato plants.23 In
one instance two dwarves "with smiles showing fine white teeth" took a pot of
flowers 60 from a woman.24 They have also been observed collecting soil samples,
stones and rocks. Their scientific curiosity seems to extend to animals, wild
and domesticated, and rabbits, chickens, pigs and even cattle taken aboard UFOs.
Man-made Structures. The most common type of occupant activity in this category
structure involves the inspection of highways, railroad tracks, mining shafts,
oil derricks and buildings.25 To a lesser extent, UFOs have been also observed
maneuvering in the vicinity of military and energy-generating facilities and
communication installations. The site of the first A-bomb explosion in New
Mexico was the scene of a UFO landing, although no occupants were observed.26
Observation of Humans. In what is now emerging as an intensifying pattern, the
activities of Earth’s inhabitants are becoming the target of increased occupant
surveillance. While most UFO beings appear to be content to monitor humans from
a respectable distance, in two separate incidents in Quebec witnesses told how
they were stared at by strange-looking beings through the window of their
homes.27 Some UFO entities have now apparently turned to the disturbing practice
of taking humans aboard their craft to examine them. Another type of occupant
activity, rarely seen, is commonly referred to as "the pit stop" which usually
occurs in the daytime 'a presumed forced landing' and seems to involve the
replenishing of supplies such as water, or the repair of a mechanical
malfunction. The "repair" theory has led me to speculate that the sulphur smell
described by Stephen Michalak, (P. 38), may in fact have been an odour caused by
a burned-out motor. Having given a brief overview of the complex nature of the
UFO occupant phenomenon, here then are five typical encounters that testify to
the diversity of UFO beings. 1 David F.. Webb, "Analysis of Humanoid Reports",
1976 MUFON Symposium Proceedings, Ann Arbor, Michigan (June 12, 1976) The Mutual
UFO Network, Seguin, Texas. 1976. p. 33. 2 MUFON Symposium Proceedings, op cit.
p. 12-13. 3 David F. Webb, "Analysis of Humanoid/Abduction Reports", Proceedings
of the 1976 CUFOS Conference, Lincolnwood, Illinois (April 30-May 2, 1976). The
Center for UFO Studies, Evanston, Illinois. 1976. p. 266. 4 Canadian UFO Report,
Vol. 4, No. 6 (Winter-Spring 1978), p. 9; Vol. 4, No. 7 (Summer 1978), p. 20-23.
5 Robert M. Wood, "Testing the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis", Thesis, Synthesis,
Antithesis. The Los Angeles and Orange County Sections of the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Los Angeles Chapter of the World Future
Society. A Joint Symposium. Los Angeles, California, September 27, 1975, p. 17.
6 UFO-Quebec, Premier Trimestre Vol. 2, No. 1 (1976), p. 19. 7 Otto Binder, "The
Clues that Prove UFOs Come From Different Galaxies", SAGA’s 1975 UFO Annual (New
York: Gambi Publications, 1975), p. 43. 8 UFO-Quebec, op. cit. p. 19. 9
UFO-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1975) p. 69. 10 SAGA’s 1975 UFO Annual, op. cit. p.
64. 11 Ibid. 12 UFO-Quebec, Quatrième Trimestre, Vol. 2, No. 4 (1976). 13
Canadian UFO Report, Vol. 2, No. 4 (1972) p. 5. 14 SAGA’s 1975 UFO Annual, op.
cit. p. 64. 15 UF0-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1975) p. 10. 16 Carl Sagan, ed.
Communication With Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI) (Cambridge, Mass.:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 1973) p. 166. 17 Jacques Vallée,
Anatomy of a Phenomenon: UFOs in Space (New York: Ballantine Books, 1974), p.
204. 18 Robert M. Wood, op. cit., p. 17. 19 'Brinsley Le Poer Trench, Earl of
Clancarty', Saga UFO Report, Vol. 4, No. 6 (October 1977) (New York: Gambi
Publications), p. 20 Dennis Overbye, "The Wizard of Space and Time", OMNI, Vol
1, No. 5 (February 1979) (New York: OMNI Publications International Ltd.). 21
Sudbury Star, January 12, 1976. 22 J. Alien Hynek, "Exclusive UFO Report
Interview", Saga UFO Report, Vol. 3, No. 3 (August 1976), p. 60. 23 James M.
McCampbell, Ufology: New Insights from Science and Common Sense (Belmont, Ca.:
Jaymac Company, 1973), p. 123. 24 Ibid. 25 Ibid., p. 125. 26 Jacques Vallée,
Passport to Magonia. Case Summaries, Case No. 420 (Chicago: Henry Regnery &
Company, 1969). 27 UF0-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1975), p. 11. 61 Montreal JANUARY
6, 1977 UFO sightings over large urban centers are considered somewhat of a
rarity, as the vast majority of incidents normally occur in remote, rural areas.
Rarer still are cases involving the presence of UFO occupants in urban
surroundings. For this reason, the reported appearance of two UFO passengers on
a mid-town Montreal rooftop on January 6, 1977 must be considered unique and
unprecedented. Ironically, the sighting coincided with Christmas Eve celebrated
by millions of Christians according to the old Julian calendar. For children of
Ukrainian origin it is traditional to search the sky for the first evening star
which heralds the opening of the Holy Christmas Eve festivities. But for Mrs.
Florida Malboeuf of Casgrain Street in Montreal, the bright light in the sky
turned out to be much more than a prelude to an age-old tradition.’ At about one
o'clock on that particular morning Mrs. Malboeuf rose from her bed, unable to
sleep because of a bronchial condition. Gazing out of the window she saw a
strange-looking object drifting above the rooftop of the house across the
street.2 To her astonishment, it seemed to be making its way toward her. She
could clearly see that it was dome-shaped, and resembled a flattened oyster with
a chain of bright lights around its rim which almost blinded her. She estimated
the object •to be about twenty feet wide. As she watched, the blazing craft
hovered atop the three-storey building opposite, but then she could no longer
see it from her vantage point at street level as it had become obscured behind
the roof deck. Seconds later, two figures appeared at the edge of the roof. Even
though there was nothing unusual about the way they walked, she instinctively
knew they were not humans! They appeared to be extremely tall, in the
neighbourhood of six and a half feet. They were thin and had unusually long arms
and legs. Although she could not distinguish their features, their heads
appeared to be covered by tight-fitting "bathing caps," similar to those worn by
frogmen. The rest of their bodies 62 seemed to be covered by a white one-piece
skin-tight tunic.3 Apparently unaware of her presence, the two figures surveyed
the scene, first looking Onto the street below and then pointing toward- the
sky, as if in search of something. Their behaviour appeared human-like and after
a few minutes they retreated. Seconds later, the craft rose and again came into
view. It slowly drifted away in a southerly direction, as if headed for
Bellechasse Street. Shaken, Mrs. Malboeuf went back to bed but had difficulty
falling asleep. It wasn’t until six o’clock the following afternoon that she
decided to tell her son André, twenty-four, about her nocturnal adventure.
Judging by his mother’s agitated state, André realised that she must have
undergone a very traumatic experience. He immediately set out to investigate,
first by consulting neighbours, none of whom had seen or heard anything out of
the ordinary the night before. It seemed to him that the rooftop of the vacant
building across the street would be the next most logical place to go.
Unfortunately, there was no way of reaching it from inside. He had no choice but
to climb a hydro pole and make his way across a six-foot-wide chasm, using a
ladder as a makeshift bridge. When he reached the rooftop he was startled by
what he saw. A twenty-foot-wide circular sheet of ice covered a thin layer of
snow. It was obvious that some form of heat had melted the snow and the circle
had subsequently frozen over. This ice sheet was flanked by two smaller
oval-shaped ice patches a few feet away, presumably created by the same heat
source. The smaller ice layers appeared to be fiat, whereas the larger one was
visibly depressed in the centre, forming a shallow crater. Excited by this
evidence of a possible UFO landing, André immediately called Le Journal de
Montréal to report what had happened. He also notified air traffic control at
Dorval Airport, and was advised that his statements would be forwarded to both
the Canadian and the U.S. North American Air Defence Command (NORAD)
Headquarters in North Bay, Ontario, and in Colorado Springs, Colorado,
respectively. He was also informed by Dorval air traffic control that three
other persons had called them to report what was presumably the same UFO
drifting above the nearby Rosemont subway station, moments after Mrs. Malboeuf’s
sighting.4 63 The revelation that these sightings would be transmitted to
top-level defence personnel tenth to confirm that, contrary to repeated official
denials, Canadian military authorities in collaboration with U.S. agencies are
still actively involved in monitoring UFO sightings. (See chapter 12, "UFOs and
the Canadian Government.") The next day - a Saturday - photo journalist Gilles
La France of Le Journal de Montreal interviewed Mrs. Malboeuf and photographed
the landing site.5 That same day, her son called Montreal Urban Community Police
and two a their officers arrived a short time later to interview Mrs. Malboeuf
and conduct a peripheral investigation which they described as "unofficial and
personal."8 Following the appearance of the story in the Sunday edtion of Le
Journal de Montréal and the weekly tabloid, The Sunday Express, local UFO
investigators converged on the scene of the sighting. The first to arrive was
Howard Gontovnick, a Laval area ufologist who publishes the periodical
(UF0-Canada.7 Despite the fact that much of the ice layer were covered by
drifting snow, he managed to take several colour photos, one of which is
reproduced here. The next day a Monday, Marc Leduc of UFO-Quebec also visited
Mrs Malboeuf, but due to a severe snowstorm he was prevented from inspecting the
rooftop. He returned on Wednesday night, accompanied by Wido Hoville of
UFO-Quebec Howard Gontovnick and Paul Dubeau, another of the UFO witnesses of
January 6. Together with André Malboeuf, they embarked on the perilous ascent to
the top of the building, where they made an other surprise discovery. Four
peculiar footprints, originating at the centre of the ice mass and pointing
toward the roof’ edge could be seen. Although these imprints resembled th heel
and toe marks of a boot, they were unlike any the men had ever seen before.8 For
one thing they were only 6 inches long and a mere 1.7 inches wide, thereby
excluding the likelihood they had been made by an adult. Also, due to the
extreme difficulty in reaching the rooftop and the narrow width of the prints,
the possibility that they might belong to a child could be excluded. Unlike the
structure of an ordinary foot 64 the curvature of these imprints was sharply
exaggerated toward the inside. The connection between the strange footprints and
what bad caused the snow to melt in circular patterns is unmistakable. Prints
embedded in the frozen layer clearly suggested they must have been produced
while the surface was still in a molten state. What had caused the snow to melt?
The circular ice patterns could not have been created by mild weather
conditions. According to Dorval weather office records, the temperature had
remained well below freezing during the month preceding Mrs. Malboeuf’s
nocturnal "shocker." Another possibility put forward was that the heat source
had originated in the building. However, the thin layer of unmelted snow beneath
the ice patch conclusively ruled out that theory.9 Clearly then, the ice
surfaces must have been produced by an external heat source from an object with
airborne capabilities. The fact that no landing gear imprints were found within
the circular patches of ice indicated that the craft had not actually landed on
the roof, but must have remained in a hovering position. From the location of
the footprints, it would appear that the occupants had disembarked from the
underside of the craft and walked towards the edge of the roof. In the final
analysis, I believe that we can also eliminate the possibility of a hoax. To
reproduce the circles, the hoaxer would have had to secure a silent, airborne
craft capable of producing a twenty-foot wide uniform heat emission. To my
knowledge, no such craft exists. As to the footprints, the trickster would have
had to engage a six-year-old child with a severe case of crippled foot wearing
specially fitted hoots. He would have then had to hoist his juvenile accomplice
to the roof of the building while the "miracle craft" was performing its
"instant summer" trick. And then just to complete the scenario, he would have
had to convince Mrs. Malboeuf to publicise the fabricated story. Without
apparent financial gain or publicity for either party, the hoax theory becomes
all the more ludicrous. In the end, we are left with physical evidence to
confirm Mrs. Malboeuf’s contention that two humanoids had disembarked from a
hovering, spherical craft onto the rooftop of the vacant house across the street
from her own. 1 UFO Quebec, Vol. 3, No.1 (Premier Trimestre 1977), p. 6. 2 The
UF0 Researcher’: Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1977), p. 6. 3 The UFO Pulse
Analyzer, Issue 2 (May 1977), p. 18.4 4 Le Journal de Montréal, January 9, 1977.
5 Ibid. 6 UFO-Quebec, op. cit., p. 7. 7 The UFO Researcher’s Newsletter, op.
cit., p. 18. 8 UFO-Quebec, op. cit., p. 8. 9 Ibid. p. 8. 65 Rosedale, Alberta
June 7, 1971 The province of Alberta is famous for its vast untapped resources
of "black gold," and for the resulting concentration of geological expeditions
in search of new energy resources. If we are to believe the account of a
Rosedale resident, it now appears that the world’s major energy consortiums are
not alone in combing the province for tell-tale rock formations. Some occupants
of UFOs seem equally interested in Alberta’s geomorphological history. On the
evening of June 9, 1971, Ms. or Miss Esther Clappison, a middle-aged woman,
witnessed the exploratory activities of three humanoid beings who had landed in
a box-like, transparent craft a short distance from her farm house.1 In a taped
radio interview with ufologist, William K. Allan, formerly of Calgary, she
calmly described the curious spectacle: On June the ninth, I was attracted to a
light coming through the windows. I couldn’t ascertain what it was all about, so
I went around to the front of my home where there is a porch. Accompanying me
was my old yellow dog, called George. I was surprised when I got there to See a
rectangular-shaped lighted object down on the ground at an intersection of two
roads.2 One end of the craft appeared to have been opened, revealing an interior
illuminated by a diffused white, opaque light. Ms. Clappison barely bad time to
recover from shock, when she saw two human-like forms moving about inside the
craft. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, her fears were confirmed:
although the forms seemed human, they looked unmistakably alien. She then
noticed a third figure outside, across the road, in a crouched position. From
her vantage point, the beings appeared to be wearing tight-fitting uniforms of
drab green material similar to skin divers’ outfits. She couldn’t distinguish
the facial features of the three humanoids since their heads 66 appeared to be
covered by see-through fabric. Her attention was particularly drawn to the hands
of the creatures: They were like mittens; not exactly like a ski-doo mitten, but
you know, just the thumbs, very prominent thumbs going into points. I gathered
that’s why he was having difficulty picking up the rocks.3 She then remembered a
recent William K. Allan broadcast on CFCN-AM radio in Calgary, in which
listeners were urged by the ufologist to look for the instrument panel when
viewing a UFO craft. "The humanoid at this time had realised someone was there
(me) and had covered as much of it (instrument panel) as he could with his
person and his arm. He continually kept looking backwards to see that his arm
was covering what was in the front of that craft. The panel went right across
the craft and was about fifteen inches straight down and there seemed to be
darker shapes on the down part."4 Too frightened to advance, Ms. Clappison
remained a safe distance from the craft while watching the visitor’s every move.
The being at the panel then motioned to his companion inside the craft, who in
turn gestured to their colleague outside. "The man out there was obviously
picking up samples. I guess it was rock, not dirt, because he was picking, not
scooping. After a moment, I tried to get closer and have a real eyeful, but the
old dog wouldn’t let me. He was scared to death and he pushed me right back.
That was quite a push you’ve got to admit. Well, then, I came in to attract my
brother’s attention. Then I looked through the window to see the object again
and what they were doing, but there wasn’t even the light. When I returned with
my brother, there was nothing there and so help me I hadn’t been drinking. I’m
not a drinking woman." The next morning, the Clappisons inspected the area and
found a scorched imprint at the edge of the road where the craft had been the
night before. Twenty feet long and five 67 feet wide, the rectangular marking
appeared to correspond to the estimated dimensions of the craft described by
Mrs. Clappison. Close inspection of the charred imprint revealed that the burnt
vegetation had been exposed to some form of intense heat radiation. When William
K. Allan visited the site four months later the blackened imprint was still
clearly visible.6 Judging from the extensive burns that bad destroyed the
resilient desert weed, it became evident that no machine of earthly origin could
have produced the uniform, geometrically shaped burn pattern. 1 Canadian UFO
Report, Vol. 2, No. 4 (1972), p. 5. 2 Taped interview with Esther Clappison,
conducted by William K. and Yvonne Allan. (October 1971.) Courtesy of W.K.
Allan. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Canadian UFO Report, op. cit., p. 6. St.
Cyrille, Quebec June 25, 1974 Imagine for a moment coming face to face with what
you believe to be creatures from a world totally alien to your own. How would
you react? With shock? Curiosity? Fascination? Hysteria? Most people would
probably respond with fear. Someone else with a different behavioural make-up
might find the encounter entertaining, might even invite the curious visitors to
come in for a beer. To a twenty-nine-year-old resident of St. Cyrile, Quebec,
Mr. L., the experience of being stared at by an "alien invader" proved to be
terrifying. To this day the credibility of this alien visitation remains
unchallenged, following the verification of witness evidence. The case is
noteworthy in that the beings seemed more preoccupied with examining the wheel
assembly of trailer homes, than the residents inside. Mr. L. and his wife live
in a trailer home outside St. Cyrille, forty-five miles east of Montreal. (Their
identities are known to UFO-Quebec researchers.)’ The couple had just returned
from a holiday in Florida. Exhausted from the long trip, Mrs. L. retired early,
whereas her husband decided to stay up and watch television. What followed is
best described by Wido Hoville of UFO-Quebec who investigated the incident. At
1:15 AM, Mr. L. was preparing for bed, when he heard a strange sound outside. It
was some sort of 68 boom!... boom!... boom!, as if something had fallen on the
ground. Lifting the curtain of his living room window, he saw a reddish-orange
circular object hovering over a field on the north-east side of his trailer.
Beams of yellow light shone from the bottom of the craft, which seemed to hover
about four feet from the ground. The startled witness went into the bedroom to
wake his wife, and while there, he heard a buzzing sound. Looking from the
bedroom window, he saw a figure that had apparently emerged from the object and
was hovering not more than fifteen feet from the window! Shocked, Mr. L. went
with his wife into the living room, from where they observed three more
"robots", as they called them, because the strange creatures looked stiff. The
figures were close to the trailer next door, examining the shaft and wheel
assembly.2 The floating creatures were about six feet tall, with luminous
infrared bars on their bodies that flashed on and off. The glare from the neon
bars and night time obscurity prevented the couple from distinguishing any
facial features. Terrified by the presence of these creatures, the couple dared
not venture outside, and only periodically peeked out of the window to see if
they were still there. At one point during the three-hour observation, the
couple saw about fifteen "robots" standing together in line close to a nearby
creek. They stood there for over five minutes, then as if on command they
suddenly moved together. When the observers looked out again at 4:20 A.M. the
craft and the robots had disappeared. It was later revealed that an unidentified
woman in the neighbourhood had also seen the creatures and had called the
police. Evidently disbelieving her story, they never showed up to investigate.8
The immediate local reaction to the incident was understandably one of
skepticism until Jean Roy, a Drummondville resident, discovered what appeared to
be hard physical evidence to support the story. Three oval rings of flattened
grass were found in the immediate vicinity of the trailers. One was at the
precise location where the couple had observed 69 the UFO, while the other two
were behind some tall bushes on the other side of the creek. All three rings
were of similar dimensions—seventeen by eleven feet in diameter with a two foot
outer perimeter of crushed grass. Inside the ring, three one-half-inch deep
indentations were found. Three months later, after the grass had been cut, the
rings of damaged vegetation were still plainly visible; the vegetation inside
the ring had grown twice as high as the surrounding grass. While no footprints
could be found, investigators did discover several paths of disturbed vegetation
emanating from the rings. These paths, including one that ended directly outside
the couple’s trailer, seemed to correspond generally with the movements of the
floating "robots." Further evidence surfaced two years later, when on September
5, 1976, UFO-Quebec investigators revisited the two witnesses. Under controlled
clinical hypnotic regression, Mrs. L. was able to elaborate and substantiate her
original account of that memorable morning. Here are excerpts from the session
as translated from the French.4 Q: What did he (her husband) ask you that night
when he woke you up? A: To look outside. Q: Why did he ask you to look? A:
Because there was a spotlight that lit up the garage. It was like a car’s back
lights that was illuminating the garage door. He thought it was robbers or
thieves. Q: What did you do after seeing this? A: I looked in the field. Q: What
did you see? A: A saucer. Q: How was it? A: Dull with yellow lights. Q: Was it
on the ground? A: Yes. Q: Did you watch it for a long time? A: No. A few
minutes. Q: Were the lights on top or underneath? A: Underneath. Q: Did they
light up the ground? A: Yes. It was all lit up, yellow and red. 70 Q: Were there
any other lights? A: Yes. On top. Like a spotlight. It was turning. Q: Was there
something else under the saucer? A: Landing legs. Q: How many? A: Three. Q: Do
they reach down to the ground? A: Yes. Q: Do you hear anything? A: The wind. Q:
A whistling sound. A: Yes. Q: How? A: Hou.. .Hou.. .Hou. . .Hou... Q: Is the
whistling periodic? A: It is continuous. Q: At what time did the wind cease? A:
At about four. Q: What did you do? A: I panicked and went back to bed. Q: What
was your husband doing during this time? A: He was looking outside. He was
afraid. Q: Why was he afraid? A: He said he saw a figure. Q: Did you see it? A:
No. Q: Where was this figure? A: He said it was in front of him. Q: Describe the
figure. A: It was round. Q: What was he doing? A: My husband said the figure was
in front of him and was staring at him. Q: And you didn’t see the figures? A:
It’s vague—They’re in a row. Q: Where is this row? A: In front of the house next
door. Q: How many are there? A: I don’t know. Q: What are they doing? A: They’re
bending down, then getting up. Q: Are you looking at them for a long time? A:
No, only three seconds. 71 Q: Why not longer? A: I’m afraid. Q: What were you
thinking of? A: The invaders? Q: What invaders? A: Those on television. Q: What
colour were they? A: Shimmering. Like metal, silvery. They were lit up. Q: How?
A: You could see their body but not the head. Q: Did they come close to the
house? A: Yes. Q: How many were there? A: Several of them. .. about ten. Q: How
many approached the house? A: I don’t know, I heard metallic sounds. Q: Was it
close by? A: Two feet away. Q: What sort of metallic sound? A: On the "togne".
(Word used by Mrs. I. to describe the metallic appendage used in pulling the
trailer.) Q: What’s making the noise? A: I don’t know. Q: How many times? A:
Three times, about one every second. Q: Were you afraid? A: I’m more worried for
my husband. Q: Why are you worried about your husband? A: Because he’s afraid.
To protect him. Q: To protect him from what? A: From something completely alien.
Q: What do you think could have happened? Where did the saucer come from? A: I
don’t know. 0: Did any of them enter the trailer? A: No. Q: Why are they there?
A: They’re searching. Q: Do they find what they’re searching for? A: No. Q: Why
do you think not? A: I don’t know. Q: When the wind whistling stopped, did you
get up? A: Yes. 72 Q: What did you see? A: Nothing. 1 UFO-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 1,
(1975), p. 6. 2 Canadian UFO Report, Vol: 3, No. 1, p. 22. 3 UFO-Quebec, op.
cit., p.?. 4 Ibid. Saint Matthias de Chambly, Quebec October 6, 1973 Daytime
encounters with UFO occupants are extremely rare. For this reason, the
appearance of dwarf-like beings in broad daylight at Saint Matthias, east of
Montreal, stands out as a unique occurrence. Unlike most such cases, this
occupant presence does not appear to have been intended for scientific or
investigative purposes. Rather it would seem that the brief UFO landing may have
been an emergency stop, provoked by the need to replenish water supplies. The
incident is also unusual in that the witnesses mistook the small child-like
creatures they saw for boy scouts doing their 'good deed for the day'. It all
began at 12:45 in the early morning hours of October 6, 1971.1 when Mr. and Mrs.
N.R. (whose identities are known to UFO-Quebec researchers) were strolling along
a country road. They noticed an intense light coming from a field about a
quarter of a mile away. It resembled a searchlight and seemed to be scanning the
area. Mr. R. dismissed it as coming from police officers out looking for the
cattle rustlers who had recently plagued the area. The next morning at about
11:30 AM, Mrs. R. was hanging up the wash in her backyard, when she noticed a
column of smoke rising from the fields to the north. She called her husband, who
was baffled by the curious nature of what should have been a fire. Not only was
there no visible flame but as it bad rained earlier, that type of combustion in
a water-logged field seemed highly improbable. With their attention now focused
in that direction, Mr. and Mrs. R. spotted a round, yellowish, dome-shaped
object resembling a camper’s tent, a short distance away from the “fire.” They
concluded that a group of boy scouts must have set up camp and started a
campfire. Suddenly, a yellow square-shaped object resembling a bulldozer emerged
from the tent and proceeded to take up position near a spring about two hundred
feet away.2 Still thinking of boy scouts, 73 they didn’t question the appearance
or five child-like figures about four feet in height. Wearing bright yellow,
suits with a headgear resembling football helmets, the figures seemed to be
carrying something in their arms as they scurried back and forth between the
tent and the object. Due to the tall undergrowth, no leg movement could be
distinguished. Unperturbed by the presence of the young campers, the couple
resumed their chores and only periodically glanced across the field. Then,
twenty-five minutes later, 'scouts' and tents were gone. Since the only road
leading out of the field runs along the couple’s farmhouse, they should normally
have seen the 'campers' depart. Somewhat mystified, they began to re-evaluate
their theory and wondered if a more exotic explanation would be in order. The
first hint of a possible UFO connection came from a neighbour who told the
couple that he had seen a 'yellow tent' take off and bead towards Mont
Groupement, twenty-five miles further east. When the couple’s daughter returned
from work that evening, her parents told her about the incident. She walked
across the field to the 'campsite' and discovered a fifty-foot wide circle of
burnt and crushed grass. She also noticed a six-inch-wide track, resembling
tractor marks, leading from the circle toward a smaller twelve-foot-wide circle
by the spring.3 When Miss R. returned to the house, her head began to ache and
she felt nauseous - symptoms often associated with radiation exposure. She did
not seek medical attention as the headache and the nausea soon disappeared.
Several weeks later, when word of the incident had reached the offices of
UFO-Quebec, Wido Hoville and Philippe Blanquière inspected the site and filed
this report:4 The first circle was still visible and so was the track and the
other smaller circle. We took some colour photos which vividly demonstrate the
burn markings and the track-like imprints. Within the circumference of the large
circle, we found three square imprints arranged in a triangular pattern
thirty-four feet in length. At the time, we didn’t have a Geiger counter and it
was impossible to conduct a radiation count. Next to the landing site, we found
several water 74 springs where domestic animals customary come to drink. At
about 1,500 feet to the east of the site were two high-voltage power lines,
while to the west, a pipeline can be found. At the precise location of the
landing, we discovered a synclinal axis... [which] strongly supports the
hypothesis that UFOs are often observed in regions where geological
discontinuities are present such as fault lines, quarries canyons, etc. We flew
over the site to take some photos of the marks and we could plainly see the axis
crossing the field from the southwest to the northeast. In the last twenty
years, the regions of Chambly and Rougemont have emerged as areas of intensive
UFO activity, with several credible reports of both UFO landings and occupant
sightings. It would appear that the landing was probably made for the purpose of
refuelling water supplies. The marks clearly indicate that some sort of device
had travelled from the large circular craft to the spring. The hurried movements
of the humanoids leaves us with the impression they were on a "rush-job". A
curious side note to the affair is the unresolved case of the 'cattle thieves'.
While we can find not a shred of evidence linking the cattle disappearances to
our cosmic 'water bearers', it is noteworthy that such animal abductions have
occurred in conjunction with intense UFO activity. 1 UFO-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 1,
1975) p. 10. 2 Canadian UFO Report, Vol. 3, No. 3 (1975) p. 8-9. 3 UFO-Quebec,
op..cit., p. 12. 4 UF0-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 7 (1976) p. 20-22. 75 Chapter 5 UFO
Abductions Abductions and kidnapping under any circumstances are traumatic
experiences. But when the captors are repulsive looking creatures from another
world, surely the ordeal takes on yet another dimension of horror. This may
sound like a chilling plot for a science fiction horror film, but to the scores
of people who have actually experienced this horror it’s real and unforgettable.
In what must certainly be considered the strangest and most disturbing aspect of
the mystery-shrouded UFO occupant phenomenon, a growing number of people now
report being immobilised and beamed aboard a UFO! In virtually every known case,
the victims of the 'spacenapping' tell of being subjected to an apparent medical
examination by UFO entities. Truth is often stranger than fiction; thus the
obvious is, "To what extent can these apparent flights of fantasy be taken
seriously?" If we are to believe the studies conducted by serious worldwide
UFO-oriented research groups, these abduction stories are highly credible. The
previously cited MUFON Humanoid Study Group has already compiled a list of 166
reports where - the UFO’s witnesses related an on-board experience. This
represents 10 per cent of the total number of HSG cases.’ According to Study
Group co-chairman, physicist David Webb, some of the recurring features of
kidnappings include: On-board medical examinations, induced amnesia,
Intelligible communication, paralysis of the witness and such 76 physical
characteristics of me humanoids as slanted eyes, small stature, small noses and
ears and a mouth slit.2 In geographical terms, over half of the documented
abductions have occurred in the United States, followed by strong concentrations
in Brazil (20 per cent) and Argentina (6 per cent).3 With the exception of three
early incidents in 1915, 1921 and 1942, UFO 'spacenapping' are exclusively a
post-1947 'modern-era' phenomenon.4 UFO abductions have increased dramatically
since 1965. The five-year period from 1970 to 1975 accounts for 53 per cent of
MUFON’s total compilation.5 Even more alarming is the realisation that the
number of known incidents represents a mere fraction of the total spectrum of
cases. Dr. James Harder, professor of civil engineering at the University of
California at Berkeley, claims that in the United States alone, hundreds, and
possibly thousands of UFO-related abductions have never been reported.6 As
Research Director for the Aerial Phenomenon Research Organisation (APRO), his
statements cannot be taken lightly. Having personally investigated more than
fifty such abduction cases, he is considered by many to be the world’s leading
scientific authority on this phenomenon. Why do most cases remain unreported?
For reasons that are little understood, the majority of victims, often referred
to as 'contactees', simply do not remember the experience. While they normally
recall seeing the UFO, the abduction itself remains inexplicably locked away in
their subconscious, as if the experience had been purposely erased from memory.
All they are left with is an unexplained time-loss which can range from a few
minutes to several days. The world-famous UFO abduction of Travis Walton, near
Heber, Arizona on November 5, 1975, reportedly lasted a full five days.7 In
time, some of the contactees gain an insight into their elusive experience,
often by means of a sudden memory flash 77 or a vivid dream. Realising the
staggering implications of a brief glimpse into their contact with alien life
forms, most victims usually seek immediate attention from psychologists or
ufologists. For many other victims, however, the curious memory lapse remains a
permanent mystery. Whether out of indifference or fear, they never bother to
explore the time-loss further. Because these cases of amnesia appear to have
their origin in Some form of induced memory suppression, researchers have turned
to clinical hypnotic regression in an attempt to extract the hidden experience.
In most cases, the technique has been successful, unlocking a Pandora’s box of
spine tingling accounts of on-board events. As a result, hypnosis is now
frequently employed by a growing number of professional researchers when they
are confronted with suspected abduction cases. One of them is Dr. Harder. World
renowned for his pioneer work in applied hypnosis, he has the distinction of
being one of the six scientists to testify on UFOs before the July 1968 U.S.
House Committee on Science and Astronautics.8 Dr. Leo Sprinkle, associate
professor of psychology at the University of Wyoming at Laramie, is another
prominent researcher who customarily employs hypnosis. He has gained
international recognition with his investigations of two of the most
controversial abductions in UFO history: the case of Ashland, Nebraska,
patrolman Herb Schirmer on December 3, 1967; and the abduction and space voyage
of elk hunter Carl Higdon near Rawlins, Wyoming, in October 1974.9 Dr. Sprinkle
has worked with private and government-sponsored UFO research groups, acting as
APRO consultant since 1962 and serving in 1968 as consultant to the Condon
Committee, the U.S. Air Force-sponsored University of Colorado UFO study. It was
the Condon Committee, headed by the late Dr. Edward Condon, that presented the
highly controversial and much publicized conclusion that there was no evidence
to confirm that UFOs were extraterrestrial spacecraft. Since then, these
conclusions have been openly challenged by prominent scientists throughout the
world, including former members of the Committee itself. 78 Both Dr. Harder and
Dr. Sprinkle are strong defenders of hypnotic regression techniques and consider
them one of the most effective and reliable tools available for extracting
repressed memory and authenticating witness testimonies. Dr. Harder explains
some of the difficulties encountered in evaluating the information obtained
through hypnosis. First off, in many instances, the participants are told by the
UFO beings not to remember the encounter. And sometimes it appears that a phony
memory has been substituted for the real one. For instance, one person I
hypnotised said he was shown a propulsion mechanism and told it was driven by
"lithium crystals". I immediately recognised that as something from 'Star Trek'.
We have no reason to believe that lithium crystals are part of any real UFO
propulsion system... But when you have multiple witnesses remembering the same
experience, then you know you’re dealing with something else... And then, once
they’re under hypnosis, they’re in no mental state to resist
cross-examination... I don’t think someone I suspected of lying under hypnosis
could get away with it.10 Dr. Harder does not believe that the abduction victims
are singled out for any special attribute they may possess: Abductees seem to
come from all races and ethnic groups... the average abductee, however, is
likely to be a little more intelligent than most... in my experience, these
people seem to be at least slightly more psychic than most of their fellow’
citizens.11 As to the alien entities themselves, their attitude toward their
terrestrial guests often differs from species to species. Some appear to be
friendly and helpful, while others are aloof and cold.’2 If we are to exclude a
few isolated incidents where abductees have experienced momentary pain during
examinations, cruelty and aggressive behaviour do not appear to be a
characteristic of these alien hosts. 79 What then can be made of seemingly
random and harmless diagnoses by these alien physicians? For those with romantic
visions of man’s first contact with intelligent life forms as a glorious,
historical occasion worthy of pomp and ceremony, the questionable 'clinical'
conduct of UFO occupants is confusing and invites speculation on the intent
behind UFO visitations. While deploring the practice of abducting unwilling
'patients', most researchers see these experiments as part of overall missions
aimed at studying man and his environment. These alien activities seem to be
poignantly reminiscent of our conservationists’ tagging programs designed to
monitor the movements and behaviour of endangered species. Are we to conclude
that we are the endangered species of the galaxy? But the equally questionable
and unethical practice of unauthorised medical experiments and memory tampering
has led other researchers to suspect a more sinister plot behind the abductions.
They point to cases where blood samples (generally in the lymph node areas) were
extracted from the victim, or where, for unknown purposes, foreign substances
were injected into the blood stream. One of the best known 'sinister plot'
advocates is veteran UFO researcher and author John A. Keel, who writes: If the
ufonauts are interested in our lymphatic systems, and the other defensive
mechanisms of the human body, we may all have cause to worry about those funny
lights in the night sky.13 In citing the obvious neurological expertise of these
cosmic Marcus Welbys, Keel goes so far as to speculate that some, if not all,
contactees may have been subjected to sophisticated forms or induced behaviour
modification through surgical or chemical means: We do know that brainwashing
plays an important role in UFO contact cases. We also know that many witnesses
vividly remember false episodes that have been planted into their minds,
apparently to cover up what really happened to them... It’s a frightening
thought, but researchers around the world have now collected a mountain of
evidence indicating that many UFO witnesses do suffer sudden changes in
personality and 80 life style, and may have experienced some form of radical
brain surgery.14 We cannot, on the other hand, rule out the possibility that
some, if not all, personality transformations are normal psychological changes
brought about by new attitudes toward the meaning of life and the perceived
reality of extra-planetary life. However, the most disturbing aspect of the
whole abduction syndrome, which also remains the least investigated, is the
permanent disappearance of abduction victims. In his address to the 1976 Center
for UFO Studies conference at Lincolnwood, Illinois, David Webb commented that
"an alarming number of cases of reported abductions from which the witness has
not returned is also a common feature."5 While some of the known disappearances
have involved military pilots (See Chapter 7, 'Military Pilot Sightings'), very
little else is know about the worldwide phenomenon of vanishing persons, be they
UFO-related or not. Obviously, more research is required in this field. Canada
can boast a handful of cases involving mysterious memory losses by witnesses
viewing UFOs. Only two known witnesses have undergone hypnotic regression—a
fourteen year-old boy in Calgary and a forty-one-year-old man in St. Johns,
Newfoundland. In the case of the Calgary youth, the session proved to be
extremely fruitful in not only confirming the actual UFO abduction, but also in
revealing grizzly details of an on-board examination.18 Details of the incident
and portions of the hypnosis session appear below. In the Newfoundland case, the
session failed to disclose any pertinent revelations about the suspected
abduction. Instead, it brought to light an even more bizarre aspect of the
mystery. Under hypnosis, the victim was prevented from revealing details of his
two-hour memory lapse by mysterious interference from a third party—an unknown
voice, audible only to the abductee!17 In the final analysis, because UFO
abductions represent the only perceivable form of direct human contact with the
intelligence behind UFOs, they hold the key to solving this most 81 complex and
puzzling mystery. If we are to understand the true purpose underlying UFO
visitations, UFO research must turn toward improved methods of information
retrieval, be it hypnosis or other forms of memory recall, as well as toward
follow-up interviews with the confirmed "contactees". 1 David Webb, 'Humanoid
Study Group Report: Abduction Cases' - The MUFON Journal, Number 123 (February
1978) - The Mutual UFO Network, p. 18. 2 David Webb, 'Analysis of
Humanoid/Abduction Reports', Proceedings of the 1976 CUFOS Conference (April
30-May 2, 1976.) Lincolnwood, Illinois, The Center for UFO Studies, Evanston,
Illinois, 1976. p. 266-271. 3 Ibid., p. 266-276. 4 Ibid., p. 266-271, 5 Ibid.,
p. 266-271. 6 Jerome Clark, 'UFO Report Interviews Dr. James Harder', Saga UFO
Report, Vol. 5, No. 2 (December 1977) p. 39. 7 David Webb, op. cit., p. 271. 8
Fuller, John G., 'Aliens in the Skies: The New UFO Battle of the Scientists'
(New York: G.P. Putnam & Sons & Berkeley Publishing Corporation, 1969)
p. 129. 9 'Exclusive UFO Report Interview,' Saga UFO Report, Vol. 3, No. 2 (June
1976), p. 31. 10 Jerome Clark, op. cit., p. 38, 68. 11 Ibid., p. 39. 12 Ibid.,
p. 39. 13 John A. Keel, 'UFOs - The Medical Evidence', Saga UFO Report, Vol 5,
No. 4 (March 1978) p. 25. 14 Ibid, p. 25. 15 David Webb, op. cit. p. 266. 16 B.
Ann Slate, 'Contactee Supplies New Clues to UFO Mystery', Saga UFO Report, Vol.
3, No. 1 (April 1976) p. 26. 17 Telephone conversation with Mr. James E.B.,
August 20, 1977. Calgary, Alberta November 19, 1961 The victim of the most
notorious Canadian UFO abduction on record• has, under clinical hypnosis,
vividly described the horror of being isolated and closely examined by what he
considered repulsive-looking monsters. The event occurred in the early evening
of November 19, 1967. The unwilling guinea pig was fourteen-year-old David
Seewaldt of Calgary who had just left a friend’s house.1 He was walking across
the field that led to his home, about two blocks away. It was 5:45 PM and the
late autumn darkness bad settled over the southern Albertan city. Normally, the
walk took only a few minutes, but on that fateful Friday evening, it would be
the strangest trip of young David’s life. In his own words: ... all of a sudden,
I heard this high-pitched sound. I turned around and looked, and I saw this sort
of silver, gray-ish object flying in the sky. It had all coloreds lights around
the Center part and they were flashing on and off all colors.2 Frightened, he
began to run. The next thing he knew, he was bursting through his front door,
the sinister vessel now overhead. His older sister, Angela, followed him
upstairs where she found him cowering behind his bed in a state of utter terror.
Worried about her brother’s strange behaviour, she grabbed him and asked, "What
happened? Why are you so late coming home?" It was now 6:30 PM - forty-five
minutes after David had left his friend’s house. He stared past her sister with
horror on his face and finally managed to stammer: "I... I was 82 chased by a
flying saucer!"3 He then proceeded to describe the sudden appearance of the
craft and the ensuing ordeal which seemed as if it had lasted a minute or so.
Instead forty-five minutes had elapsed and David didn’t know why. Try as he
would, he could not account for the time loss. The usually calm and
mild-mannered youngster was a bundle of nerves for the rest of the weekend.
Concerned about his apparent case of amnesia, his parents sought the help of
ufologist, William K. Allan, who at the time was hosting a radio program on UFOs
on CFCN-AM radio in Calgary. Their meeting unfortunately failed to unlock
David’s frozen memory and in time the entire incident was forgotten by the
Seewaldt household. But then, five months later, in April 1968, David awoke one
night from a nightmare. He vividly remembered what had happened during the
missing forty-five minutes and recalled being taken aboard the UFO and being
subjected to a medical examination by creatures so different from ordinary
humans that .he could only describe them as "monsters". The nightmare again left
him thoroughly shaken and his parents turned again to Mr. and Mrs. Allan for
help. "I was very upset over this dream", commented Mrs. Seewaldt. "He was real
shaken up over it. He really missed a night’s sleep after it. I don’t recall
David having a nightmare before. He isn’t a child who has a great imagination."4
Confronted with the sensitive nature of the case, the Allans realised that
clinical hypnotic regression might be required. They secured the voluntary
services of a dental surgeon, a Dr. K. (anonymity requested), who specialised in
the use of hypnosis in his practice.5 As the session got underway, it soon
became apparent that David had a mental block about his traumatic experience,
for each time be was asked what happened after seeing the craft, he began to
perspire, his legs started to shake violently and he could not speak. To remove
the mental block Dr. K. suggested that David replay his experience as if he were
watching television. Following are excerpts of a videotaped session held at the
University of Calgary psychology department by Dr. K. and a psychologist, Dr. M,
83 K: Now, David, I would like you to see yourself on the nineteenth of November
last year... All right, will you tell me where you are? D: I’m in the empty lot.
K: All right, look around and tell me everything that you see. D: I see an
object. K: Where is it? D: Above me. K: What colour is the object in the sky? D:
Silver-gray-ish. It has a coloreds band of lights around the middle of it...
green, yellow, blue, orange, red, pink... K: What happens next? D: They put a
beam on me. K: What colour is the beam? D: Orange. K: Where does the beam come
from? D: The ship. The middle... on the bottom. K: How did you feel when the
beam touched you? D: I was sort of in a trance. K. Did the beam grab hold of
your arm or did it grab hold of your body... what does the beam do to you? D: It
just brought me up in the ship. K: Did you feel a funny sensation as you were
going up? D: No. K: Were you frightened? D: No, I was in a trance. The beam is
bringing me in the ship now. I see a monster. At this point we proceed to Dr.
M.’s questioning who probed the appearance of the “monster”.6 M: Tell me all
about the monster. D: It has a scaly skin. It has holes for its nose and holes
for its ears and it has a slit on its face for a mouth. It's brown. M: How many
monsters do you see? D: Two. M: What was there about the skin that made you
think it was scaly? D: It looked like a crocodile skin. 84 M: What did their
backs look like? Did they have a crocodile back too? D: I never saw their backs.
M: Did they have any clothes on? D: No. Just that sort of skin. M: Were they
smiling? Were they happy? D: No, they didn’t show any expression. M: Tell me
everything that’s happening now. D: They put me on a sort of a cot. He’s looking
at my body. M: How many are looking at you? D: Four. M: Can you tell me
something more about their face? D: It’s sort of scary. It’s round. M: How many
hands do they have? D: Two. M: What are they like? D: They’re like...real rough.
M: How many fingers do they have? D: Four. M: Do they have a thumb as well? D:
No. M: How big are these beings? D: About six feet. M: What are they wearing? D:
It looks like they’re not wearing anything. They have a brown sort of scaly-like
skin. M: How many feet do they have? D: Two. There’s nothing on their feet. M:
How many toes do you see on their feet? D: Four. The following are selected
portions of David’s recollection of the apparent anatomical examination. K: Are
they saying anything to you? D: I can’t understand. It’s a... it’s a strange
language. K: He’s not speaking in English? D: No. K: Imitate the sound these
beings are saying. D: Espbezeebzzpsbzzebsp (sounding much like a bee hive or a
high-voltage electric current). K: How many beings are doing this? D: Just one.
85 K: And who’s he doing it for? D: He’s telling the others. K: And what is he
doing while be is saying this? D: He’s looking at my body. He’s studying it. He
took my clothes off. K: You mean all your clothes? Your shoes, your socks, your
trousers? D: Yes! K: Your underwear? D: Yes! (Visibly upset) K: Your shirt? D:
Yes! (Almost hysterical) K: And he left your jacket on. D: No! (Angrily) He’s
lifting my head up. His hands are coming for my head. He’s lifting it up. He
looks at my hair, my eyes, my nose.. .(Heavy breathing at this point as he
relives the terrifying experience) K: Keep on. D: He’s studying me and then
after they finish studying me, they put my clothes back on. They move me onto a
different table again. David then describes what is evidently the most
terrifying part of his ordeal. M: All right David, now what is happening? D:
They’re bringing me... through a hallway into another room. M: What does the
other room look like? D: It has all sorts of bright lights in it. M: What else
do you see? D: There’s another table there. They put me on that table. M: What’s
going on now? You’re on the table. (David hesitates, breathing heavily, as if
fearful to re-enact the next events. After being comforted by the psychologist,
he continues.) D: They put this other thing over me. M: What other thing? What
does it look like? D: It’s a gray-ish colour and they just throw it over me and
then this great big, huge, orange-coloreds light comes down and is shone on me.
Then one of them took sort of a needle. M: What’s the needle look like? 86 D:
It’s gray, it’s small. He sticks It in my arm. M: Were you awake all the time
when you were in this room? D: Yes. M: Did they give you anything to eat or
drink? D: No. I was sort of in a trance. I felt numb. The final portion of the
session is once more conducted by Dr.K. K: And what goes on now? D: And then we
go through the computer room into a sort of a hallway. And then that orange beam
shows up again and I’m back down on the ground and I hear the high-pitched sound
coming from the spaceship. K: High-pitched? Could you hear it? D: Yes. K: Well
if you could hear it, perhaps you might be able to imitate it for us. D:
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! (high-pitched, shrill sound resembling a trumpet, or a
sound similar to blowing through a blade of grass) K: It is that loud? D: Yes.
K: Does the sound frighten you? D: Yes. K: What do you do now? D: I start to run
home. And it seems as if it’s chasing me. And I run faster. I’m just about at my
house and it goes straight up and disappears. I ran in the house, and tore
upstairs and jumped across the bed. My sister she went up after me and asked me
what had happened and I said, "Something was chasing me", and I told her the
story.7 1 B. Ann Slate, 'Contactee Supplies New Clues to UFO Mystery', Saga UFO
Report, Vol. 3, No. 1 (April 1976), p. 26. 2 Taped interview with David Seewaldt
conducted by W.K. Allan, Calgary, November 28, 1967. Courtesy of W.K. Allan. 3
Ann Slate, op. cit. 4 John Magor, Our UFO Visitors (Vancouver: Hancock House,
1977), p. 166. 5 Ibid. 6 Ann Slate, op. cit. p. 27. 7 Tape recording of hypnotic
regression session conducted by Dr. K. Calgary, August 1968. Courtesy of W. K.
Allan. 87 Chapter 6 UFOs and Military Installations Since 1947, the year that
marks the beginning of the modern era of UFOs, a sizable number of sightings
have occurred in the vicinity of military installations. The appearance of these
alien craft has not only been confined to conventional Canadian Forces Bases and
stations. Strategic installations, such as key Command Bases and Control Centers
of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), haves also become the target
of UFO scrutiny. Predictably, information about such sightings generally remains
restricted. However, some of it has managed to surface over the years. A report
about a farmer in Saskatchewan observing a glowing, circular craft drifting
noiselessly over his wheat field may hardly raise an eyebrow among military
mandarins, but an unconventional craft which invades restricted air space,
hovers momentarily over the base, and then disappears at bullet-like speed
cannot be ignored! In several instances, jet interceptors were sent up to pursue
the UFOs. However, in every known case, the UFOs managed to elude the aircraft.
(See Chapter 7, 'Military Pilot Sightings.') Two of the more important UFO
approaches, one over North Bay (Ontario) Air Force Base in 1952, the other over
St. Hubert (Quebec) Air Command Base in 1959, are considered milestones in
shaping the subsequent official attitude toward UFOs, as both sightings resulted
in changes to policy that ultimately led to the escalation of UFO research and
UFO-related secrecy. 88 Information on these 'known' sightings usually comes
from public disclosures, from revelations by ex-servicemen or through the
release of previously classified documents. But, despite these disclosures, many
observers feel that this is only a trickle of information, the mere tip of the
iceberg. Part of the difficulty in gaining access to UFO-related material from
military sources is due to provisions contained in both the National Defence Act
and the Official Secrets Act. Simply stated, any military or civilian personnel
found guilty of disclosing unauthorised and illegal information are subject to
jail terms of up to fourteen years.2 For this reason, few officials care to
comment on classified matters, and are even less likely to discuss UFOs.
Understandably so, when one considers that virtually every military document is
automatically classified as 'RESTRICTED', 'CONFIDENTIAL', 'SECRET' or 'TOP
SECRET'. The government’s 'Green Paper',' which dealt with the proposed
legislation concerning public access to government documents, recently
recognised the 'excessive' use of these classifications.3 Although, as early as
1954, the Defence Department determined that unidentified flying objects did not
pose a threat to national security, the majority of UFO-related documents have
remained classified.4 Nevertheless, from the frequent reports of prolonged UFO
presence, it would appear that military installations must be of special
interest to these unknown visitors. Admittedly, it may mean entering into the
nebulous world of speculation, but I do believe some possible reasons for their
presence might include: assessment of our offensive strength (jet, missile,
nuclear fire power); testing the effectiveness of our defence systems in
responding to alien craft; monitoring national and NORAD-linked communications
channels; cataloguing installations as part of an overall survey of manmade
structures; and sheer curiosity. Regardless of the possible cosmic or
extraterrestrial intentions which may lie behind these appearances, our military
89 wise men insist that, since 1968, they have stopped investigating UFO
sightings (a mandate currently in the hands of the National Research Council).
This means highly irregular unidentified objects are actually allowed to violate
military security regulation. If that is the case, then it represents a blatant
disregard for the philosophy that created NORAD in the first place. On the other
hand, if Our military intelligence agencies are actively investigating UFOs,
presumably in collaboration with their U.S. counterparts, why the secrecy? 1
Richard H. Hall, ed., The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National
Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. 1964). p. 78. 2 Official Secrets
Act., R.S., C.198, sl. Section 15 (1) Chapter 0-3. p. II. (Ottawa: Queen’s
Printer). 3 The Honourable John Roberts, Secretary of State. Legislation on
Public Access to Government Documents. (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, June 1977). 4
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Briefing on UFOs, November 15, 1967. Directorate of
Operations. Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section
National Research Council, Non-Meteorite Sightings File, DNO 222. (Ottawa).
North Bay Air Force Base, North Bay, Ontario January 1 and April 12, 1952 As one
of the five NORAD Control Centers in North America, North Bay Air Force Base is
currently Canada’s most important military defence installation. In 1952, two
separate UFO sightings Over the base by veteran RCAF airmen left top military
and scientific officials completely baffled. -The first incident occurred on the
evening of. January 1, New Year’s Day. RCAF Warrant Officer W.I. Yeo, a master
telecommunications technician with sixteen years service, and Sergeant D.V.
Crandell, an instrument technician, were out of doors when they spotted a
luminous disk-shaped craft streaking across the night sky. In a front page
headline story, the Ottawa Journal re. ported: The saucer appeared to be at
great height, probably outside the earth’s atmosphere. It appeared to be moving
at supersonic speed. Yeo and Crandell said they timed the object for eight
minutes and forty-three seconds and watched it move roughly parallel to the
Earth! They said it changed direction slightly at times, “zig-zagging and
climbing and diving without a sound.” And according to the Toronto Globe and
Mail: W.J. Yeo, who said that he was familiar with guided missiles, besides all
conventional aircraft, claimed the object was definitely not an aircraft, a
balloon or a me- 90 teor. "Frankly, I don’t know what it was and, for lack of
better words, we called it a flying saucer."2 At that time the Air Force
declined to comment, in an apparent attempt to downplay the sighting. A few
months later, however, a second sighting triggered a flood of statements by
government scientists thereby confirming official recognition of the phenomenon.
It was about 8:30 PM on April 12, 1952, when two servicemen spotted a bright
amber disk maneuvering over the airfield. The witnesses, Warrant Officer E.H.
Rossell, an aircraft maintenance superintendent with thirteen years in the
service, and Flight Sergeant Reginald McRae were driving from the married
quarters at the time of the sighting. The two said the disk came from the
southwest, moved across the airfield, stopped, and then took off in the reverse
direction! It climbed at an angle of 30° at “terrific speed” and disappeared.3
Following this sighting, statements calling for stepped-up investigations into
the phenomenon were expressed by such notable authorities as Dr. 0. Solandt,
chairman of the Defence Research Board; Dr. Peter Millman, astrophysicist, and
Dr. C.J. Mackenzie, chairman of the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) and
former president of the National Research Council. "At the moment, we are as
mystified as anyone else", said Dr. Solandt. "We are keeping our minds open and
studying the information that becomes available."4 Dr. Millman commented: We
can’t laugh off these observations... We can’t discover any conventional
explanation which would cover the reported behaviour of these objects. Whilst
caution is advisable, we must keep an open mind about them.5 Dr. Millman
dismissed the suggestion that the object could have been a meteor, since the
average meteor is visible for only a split second. No known celestial object can
perform a mid-air direction reversal and then accelerate upward at bullet-like
speed. 91 AECB Chairman C.J. Mackenzie echoed the views of his colleagues: It
seemed fantastic there could be any such thing. At first, the temptation was to
say it was all nonsense, a series of optical illusions. But there have been so
many reports from responsible observers, such as airplane pilots, that they
cannot be ignored. It seems hardly possible that all these reports could be due
to optical illusions.6 The sightings led to further revelations. In an
unprecedented move, the Defence Research Board voluntarily disclosed it had
actively probed similar UFO occurrences since June 1947, in collaboration with
RCAF intelligence. Even more surprising was the admission that in the majority
of cases, the Board had been completely stumped.7 The controversy also triggered
the creation of a cross-ministerial committee, known as Project Second Storey to
monitor existing government UFO research and establish new policy guidelines.
(See Chapter 12, 'UFOs and the Canadian Government'.) Many critics feel Project
Second Storey was ultimately instrumental in 'covering up' covert UFO research
between 1954 and 1966. 1 Ottawa Journal, April 16, 1952. 2 Toronto Globe and
Mail, April 16, 1952. 3 Ottawa Journal, op. cit., p.1. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7
Ottawa Journal, April 17, 1952. St. Hubert Air Command Base, St. Hubert, Quebec
April 12, 1959 As in the case of North Bay Air Force Base, several UFO sightings
had also been registered over the Quebec Regional Mobile and Air Command Base at
St. Hubert, eight miles east of Montreal. In describing the most notable of
these incidents, Toronto Star reported: Air Force authorities were baffled today
by a mysterious unidentified flying object that showed up as a red ball of light
over Canada’s key air defence establishment near Montreal, and disappeared north
at a speed faster than sound!1 92 The object was first observed at about 8 PM by
control tower personnel. Several hundred other airport officials and local
residents watched in awe as the noiseless, red, luminous craft hovered over the
airfield at an altitude estimated be.tween three and seven thousand feet.
Incredibly enough, while it hovered over the air base, the object did nor
register on control tower radar screens. Then, just as suddenly as it bad
appeared, the craft took off northward toward Montreal, “faster than any jet
interceptors at the Air Defense Command base are capable of flying”2
Descriptions of the craft ranged from "a black ball with a red light on it" to
"a long red cigar".3 The witnesses unanimously agreed that what they had seen
was totally unconventional. Trevor T., who spotted the craft in northern
Montreal, described it as: A large sphere hanging in the sky to the southwest.
At first it appeared to be standing still, then slowly moved away out of sight.4
And Claude M., who viewed the object with ten other neighbours stated that: It
resembled a large-ten-foot-wide ball. There appeared to be a yellow light
inside. There were small jets of fire coming from inside as the object passed
over the field.5 Mr. Mercier said the object appeared intent on landing in a
nearby field, but after hesitating for a few minutes it shot away at high speed.
Government officials were forced to reject every possible conventional
explanation. One St. Hubert spokesman was quoted as saying, "It was a genuine
UFO as far as we are concerned."6 The Toronto Star account of the sighting
stated that the government weather bureau at Dorval International Airport
considered the theory that the mysterious object, ... might have been a weather
balloon which was sent aloft an hour earlier than the mysterious object was
spotted. But a spokesman said the balloon was white and carried a white, not
red, light.7 93 The sighting prompted comments from Wilbert B. Smith, former
Superintendent of Radio Regulations Engineering for the Department of Transport
(DOT), who had headed Project Magnet, the DOT-sponsored investigation into UFOs
between 1950 and 1954. Based on his extensive research, he claimed such objects
appeared red when stationary and changed to orange and white when moving. They
were either round or cigar-shaped, up to 150 feet long. "My personal opinion is
that they are spacecraft."8 Visibly disturbed by the incident and by the
disclosures made by military personnel, the RCAF quickly adopted a U.S.
intelligence reporting procedure known as JANAP 146 (D).9 By imposing heavy
penalties on personnel who released such UFO-related material, this move was
designed to silence further disclosures once and for all. (See Chapter 12, 'UFOs
and the Canadian Government'.) 1 Toronto Daily Star, April 13, 1959. 2 Ibid. 8
Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 La Presse, April 13, 1959. 6 Toronto Daily Star, op. cit. 7
Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Richard H. Hall, ed., The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.:
National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1964), p. 118. Canadian
Forces Maritime Command Base, Esquimalt, British Columbia September 1968
Canada’s principal maritime defence outpost on the west coast is the Maritime
Command Base at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, on the southern shores of
Vancouver Island. In late September 1968, numerous local residents were treated
to several sightings of brilliant objects meandering over the base. The
principal witness, the late Hermanus Voorsluys, an amateur astronomer from
Victoria, was the first to spot the UFO, high above Esquimalt harbour. It was an
orange glow about 20° above the horizon. It moved up slowly from the south and
hovered for a while, then it turned a fiery red-orange and pieces of what looked
like waste material fell from it and floated toward the ground. After this
happened, the glow be- 94 came much duller and suddenly went out as it turned on
like a light bulb.1 After watching repeat performances on ensuing evenings, Mr.
Voorsluys decided to share his experience with his neighbour, Reginald Neal, a
former police officer. One night, after watching the craft drop the fiery
substance, the two men drove to a beach where they believed the material landed.
Even though their search proved futile, they were confronted with yet another
mystery. It was a low bass-like vibrating noise. We could feel and hear this
sound but it was impossible’ to tell where it was coming from, no matter where
we looked. It sounded like it was coming from all over the area.2 Then, on
September 29, accompanied by family members and neighbourhood friends, the two
men succeeded in taking several photographs of the object. One shot taken by Mr.
Neal revealed a central craft resembling a toy top, surrounded by four smaller
luminous objects. He stated that: The four smaller objects appeared to drop from
the leading one and after a zig-zagging descent, returned to the level of the
parent body, where they then disappeared.3 In the photo reproduced here, a fifth
object beneath the cluster can be seen descending from the “mother craft.” (The
shot was taken with an Exacta SLR camera with a 135-mm lens and Dynachrome ASA
25 film, with an F3 setting, exposed for eleven seconds.) All photos were
submitted for analysis to the Defence Research Naval Laboratory in Victoria
where one official remarked that it was "the best UFO shot" he had ever viewed.
In the Canadian Forces debriefing form, Neal wrote: It certainly was not a
heavenly body, as it changed course, moved at various speeds, changed colour
from a blue white to a deep orange, and once turned deep red, and generally came
to rest for periods of time from a 95 few seconds to several minutes. The
distance was too great to make an estimation of shape.4 An even more thorough
analysis of the four photos was conducted at the National Research Council in
Ottawa. While inconclusive, the report implied that it was probably a manmade
object. The NRC official wrote: Unfortunately, I am unable to come to a definite
conclusion on the basis of what evidence appears on your photos. One thing I am
fairly certain of, however, the detail shown in the object observed is probably
due to slight motion of the camera, and not to true detail in the object
observed. The other images, which may be stars or lights on the horizon, show
evidence of the same structure. I would think that what you photographed was a
point source of light which confirms your visual observations. Its intensity,
relative to the stars, would suggest that it was either a flare, an experimental
balloon with a light, or possibly an experimental aircraft.5 Subsequent
verification by researchers revealed that neither balloons nor flares had been
released during the time of the sightings. Nor could the experimental aircraft
suggestion be taken seriously, in view of the totally unconventional structural
characteristics and flight maneuvers demonstrated by the objects. Brian Cannon,
a Winnipeg-based researcher who later examined the case, came to the conclusion
that the object had been positioned almost directly over a new high-voltage
transmitter at the Esquimalt Base. (See Chapter 7, 'UFOs and Energy-Generating
Sites.') He also felt that the maritime activities at the base may have added to
the attraction. The sightings reported by the Victoria group took on
considerable credibility when commercial aircraft pilot James R. McLean revealed
having seen a similar object while flying over Victoria one night. The
descriptions matched perfectly. 1 Canadian UFO Report, Vol. 1, No. 5
(September-October 1969) p. 4. 2 Ibid., p. 6. 3 Ibid., p. 5. 4 Ibid., p. 4. 5
Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics Planetary Sciences Section National Research
Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, N68-185. (Ottawa). 96 Chapter 7 Military
Pilot Sightings Since the late 1940s, and as recently as April 1975,1 military
pilots have occasionally had breathtaking encounters with a variety of unusual
craft over Canadian air space. These sightings have involved British, American,
Scandinavian and, naturally, Canadian military personnel. Although evidence is
available to confirm these sightings, they are not mentioned in the annual
reports of the Department of National Defence. Like UFO appearances over
military installations, these pilot sightings generally remain classified, as do
most national military and NORAD-related activities. From the few incidents
known to researchers, there'd appear to be two categories of such military pilot
sightings - random encounters and deliberate UFO chases. Random Encounters.
Random encounters normally occur during routine flights and appear to be
accidental in nature. Maneuvering a fair distance away, the unidentified
machines normally look like disk- or cigar-shaped objects. Their unorthodox
structure and unusual aerodynamic capabilities clearly suggest that they are
intelligently controlled. Frequently, they have approached and followed military
aircraft, presumably for the purpose of surveillance. Some pilots have been
shaken by the experience whereas others have found it a “once in a lifetime”
opportunity to examine closely these fascinating machines. It may be comforting
to note that no incidents of overt aggression or hostility have so far been
recorded during any of these encounters. 97 Deliberate UFO Chases. In the late
1940s and early 1950s, when UFO sightings were still a novelty, many people
suspected these craft to be of Soviet origin. As a result Canadian and U.S.
military officials felt compelled to launch interceptors to chase them. It soon
became apparent, however, that these flying objects could not possibly be the
product of Stalinist technological wizardry. But this only heightened the
general consternation. What are they? Where do they come from? What do they
want? All these questions remained unanswered. To military mandarins on both
sides of the border, the obvious solution was to capture one of them, because as
strategists they recognised the military as well as the political advantages
such a capture would represent. To this day, no conclusive evidence has been
found to indicate whether or not any of these attempts have succeeded. Part of
the uncertainty stems from stories by a growing number of top level military and
civilian witnesses who today claim to have investigated UFO crashes and their
retrieved occupant casualties as far back as the late forties.2 After
twenty-nine years of UFO research, author-investigator Leonard Stringfield has
compiled a number of witness testimonies confirming no less than a dozen such
incidents. The U.S. Air Force has denied all such charges.3 As far as we now
know, the capture strategy was a complete fiasco in Canada. In every known case,
the pilots were mystified by the elusive craft's seemingly effortless high-speed
evasive tactics. A tortoise chasing a road-runner would probably be a fair
analogy. These escapades were also costly in terms of human lives. Although
there are no known fatal crashes in Canada, several have -occurred in the United
States.4 Whether they were the result of direct retaliations by UFOs or were
caused by the planes' accidental exposure to some form of lethal magnetic field
remains a mystery. Even more baffling are some incidents over the Canada/U.S.
border, which ended in the disappearance of both the 98 interceptors and the
UFOs.5 They literally vanished into thin air, as if 'energised' into another
dimension (a concept popularised by the science-fiction TV series 'Star Trek').
As in the United States, UFO chases over Canada were certainly not isolated
incidents. In his investigative book0 Aliens From Space, Major Donald I. Keyhoe
(USMC Ret.) maintains that: Though jet pursuits are the usual method for capture
attempts, at least one country has tried a different plan. In 1954, U.S. Air
Force Intelligence learned that Canada had set up a top-secret project, after
Royal Canadian Air Force pilots bad failed to bring down a UFO. Hoping to lure
aliens into landing, the Defence Research Board established a restricted landing
field near its experimental station at Suffield, Alberta. All RCAF and
commercial- pilots were banned from the area. But there was nothing to indicate
that the restricted field was reserved for the alien machines and none came near
the area. Even if the aliens had known, they might not have risked landing,
after hundreds of earlier chases by the RCAF.6 The project was kept secret until
July 1967, when the then Canadian Defence Minister Paul Hellyer revealed its
existence, claiming that the site had not attracted UFOs. He did not elaborate
further on the operation except to state that it had been discontinued following
the conclusion that UFOs did not pose a threat to national security.7 Despite
these revelations by the minister and USAF Intelligence, the Department of
National Defence today denies that such a project ever existed. According to
National Defence Headquarters (Ottawa) Public Information Officer, Captain
Douglas Caie: “We have no record of any such project. From the information I
have, we never had one.”8 This leads me to consider two possibilities. One, the
project existed but is now being downplayed for fear that disclosures could
generate questions that might uncover some current 99 secret UFO-related
research. Two, while discussing other UFO-related DRB activities in the early 1
950s, Defence Minister Hellyer's comments were misinterpreted by the press.
Based on Major Keyhoe's impeccable credibility and my yet uptarnished belief in
basic journalistic ethics, I tend toward the cover-up theory. It seems to me
that the Ottawa Journal would not print so explosive a story without double
checking it beforehand to ensure that it wasn't fabricated. In many ufological
circles, there is now a growing belief that some RCAF pilots have successfully
filmed and photographed UFOs during pursuits, using easy-to-operate special
gun-movie cameras which were customarily aboard the older F-86 Sabre jets and
the current CF-1O1 Voodoos. Although the RCAF denies the existence of such
photographic evidence. it seems unlikely that in the course of these pursuits,
no film footage was ever obtained.0 In fact, if we are to believe one witness,
the RCAF is said to possess an impressive collection of glossy close-up photos
of a wide assortment of UFOs. This statement comes from rancher Bert Gammie of
Green Lake, British Columbia, who in June 1964 was treated to a brief sighting
of an enormous UFO as it circled above his car. The spherical craft, dull
metallic in colour, apparently had a series of exhaust vents at one end that
emitted peculiar multi-coloreds gases. Mr. 6ammie reported the sighting to the
RCAF in Vancouver. Shortly after, he was visited by two senior air force
officers, one of whom he knew personally. The pair brought with them a bulky
portfolio of photographs which he was asked to study. To his surprise, Gammie
found himself looking at a set of glossy prints of UFOs, many of them showing
the craft in fine detail... Asked if any of the photos resembled what he saw,
Gammie said some were similar but none fitted the description exactly... the
officer told Gammie that if their visit received any publicity, the air force
would deny they were ever there!10 In the final analysis, we are regrettably
faced with the possibility that while the general public is being served UFO
tidbits in the form of mediocre television programming like 100 NBC's defunct
'Project UFO', a select group of military officials in Ottawa are feasting their
eyes on 'the real thing'. 1 Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary
Sciences Section, National Research Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings File,
N75-041, (Ottawa). 2 Leonard H. Springfield, Situation Red: The UFO Siege (New
York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977), p. 179-86. 3 Leonard H. Springfield,
'Retrievals of the Third Kind', MUFON UFO Journal, No. 128 (July 1978) The
Mutual UFO Network, p. 8. 4 David R. Carlson, 'The Air Force and the UFO'.
Aerospace Historian, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Winter 1974) p. 212. 5 Richard H. Hall, ed.
The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National Investigations Committee on Aerial
Phenomena, 1964), pp. 114-115. 6 Donald I. Keyhoe, Aliens From Space (Toronto:
New American Library of Canada Limited, 1974), P. 78. 7 Ottawa Journal, July 20,
1967. 8 Telephone conversation with Captain Douglas Caie, August 25, 1978. 9
Ibid. 10 Canadian UFO Report, Vol 3, No. 5, p. 14. Fifty Miles Northeast of
Gander, Newfoundland Fall 1956 The Gander region of central Newfoundland became
the scene of a dramatic random encounter in the fall of 1956. On that occasion
both the crew and passengers aboard a four-engine U.S. Navy Super Constellation
transport sighted a disk-shaped craft as big as a football field. As the
incident was viewed by an extraordinarily large number of military witnesses, it
is now considered one of the most credible in UFO files. Over thirty pilots,
navigators and flight engineers on their way home from special duty in Europe
were aboard the transport. At the controls was veteran Navy pilot, Commander
George Brent (name changed to protect the identity of the officer).' In a decade
of service, he had crossed the Atlantic more than two hundred times, but this
crossing was to be his most memorable. About fifty miles northeast of Gander
Airport, Brent noticed a cluster of lights below his aircraft. Thinking they
came from a village, he called Lieutenant Alfred C. Friedman, his navigator, to
confirm be was still on course. "It can't be land", was Friedman's reply.2 Just
then, all the lights except one dimmed and appeared to be spreading out. The one
bright light was headed up toward the transport, seemingly on an imminent
collision course. Within seconds, the object now clearly visible as a huge
flying disk with a glow around the rim reached the plane's altitude. To the
stunned men in the cockpit, it seemed to hit them head on. Then it tilted
sharply and shot to one side.8 It bad swung around, was drawing abreast, pacing
them 101 at about one hundred yards. For a moment he had a clear glimpse of the
monster. Its sheer bulk was amazing; its diameter was three to four times the
Constellation's wing span. At least thirty feet thick at the centre, it was like
a gigantic dish inverted on top of another. Seen at this distance, the glow
along the rim was blurred and uneven. Whether it was an electrical effect, a
series of jet exhausts or light from openings in the rim, Brent could not tell.
But the glow was bright enough to show the disk's curving surface, giving a hint
of dully reflecting metal. Though Brent saw no signs of life, he had a feeling
they were being observed. He held to a straight course, fighting an impulse to
dive away. Gradually, the strange machine pulled ahead, tilting its massive
shape upward. It quickly accelerated and was lost against the stars.4 Having
recovered from shock, Brent contacted Gander Airport to ask whether any other
traffic had been registered on the radar screens. “We had something on the scope
near you,” he was told by an official, “but we couldn't get an answer.”5 After
landing at Gander, all the crew members were thoroughly interrogated by U.S. Air
Force Intelligence officers. From the start, it was plain they accepted the
giant-disk sighting as fact... How close did the object come? What was its
size... estimated rate of climb... any electrical interference noted... what
happened to the other luminous rings?6 The crew members unanimously agreed that
what they had seen was a craft measuring between 350 and 400 feet in width,
which had a metallic appearance, and was definitely under intelligent control.
Based on the estimated time of ascent—between five and eight seconds—it had
accelerated at a speed of 2,300 mph, surpassing this speed on departure. When
co-pilot Lieutenant Peter J. Mooney asked the interrogating officer what U.S.
Air Force Intelligence had learned about UFOs, he was told: "Sorry, I can't
answer any questions." 102 "Why not?" asked Mooney, "After a scare like that,
we've got a right to know what's going on!" The officer shook his head. "I can't
answer any questions," he repeated.7 As soon as the crew member reports were
completed they were flashed to five top-ranking U.S. Defence commanders. The
witnesses were then flown to their destination at Patuxent Naval Air Station in
Maryland, where they were again questioned by officers of Naval Intelligence and
Air Technical Intelligence. According to Major Keyhoe: Later, a government
scientist (supposedly from the CIA) showed Brent UFO photos - one portraying a
disk like the one over the Atlantic.8 Aside from revealing the high-level
military interest in UFOs, the ensuing investigations also demonstrated that
Intelligence personnel were under strict orders to keep all information
confidential, even when it involved senior Navy officers who bad seen UFOs. This
case again confirmed the existence of secret U.S. Air Force photos, presumably
obtained during jet pursuits, and clearly demonstrates the U.S. military
establishment's disregard of its Canadian counterpart, despite joint NORAD
agreements. Even though the sightings had occurred in Canadian air space,
Canadian defence authorities were evidently by-passed in the initial
investigations. 1 Donald I. Keyhoe, Aliens From Space (Toronto: New American
Library of Canada Limited, 1974), p. 78. 2 Donald I. Keyhoe, Flying Saucers: Top
Secrets (New York: G.P. Putnam & Sons, 1960) p. 16. 3 Donald I. Keyhoe,
Aliens, p. 79. 4 Donald I. Keyhoe, Flying Saucers, p. 18. 5 Ibid., p. 18. 6
Ibid., p. 18. 7 Ibid., p. 19. 8 Donald B. Keyhoe, Aliens, p. 79. Lake Superior,
Seventy Miles Northeast of Keweenaw Point November 23, 1953 One of the most
puzzling and disturbing UFO incidents ever to leak from U.S. Air Force secret
files deals with the mysterious disappearance over Lake Superior of a U.S. Air
Force F-89 jet interceptor, while in pursuit of a UFO. Reminiscent of some of
the disappearances recorded in the so-called Bermuda Triangle, no trace was ever
found of either the aircraft or the UFO. They both had literally vanished from
the face of the earth. 103 Information of this baffling case was originally
leaked by U.S. Air Force officials to none other than the former director of the
National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), who has over the
years written several books condemning U.S. secrecy in UFO matters.' The case
Was released to him as part of a script for a USAF radio program entitled 'Look
to the Skies!' which was scheduled for broadcast on closed-circuit radio
station, KLRH, at Lackland Air Force Base Hospital. The script opened with these
startling words: "The question now is not 'If' but 'Why' and 'Where Do They Come
From?'"2 Clearly we can intercept this as an indication that the U.S. Air Force
acknowledges the reality of UFOs. Citing that the Lake Superior case had been
officially authenticated, the radio script continued: It was the evening of
November 23, 1953, and wintry darkness had settled over Michigan. At an isolated
radar station, Air Defence operators were watching their scope in a routine
guard against possible enemy attack.3 It went on to describe the sudden
appearance on radar screens of an unknown object flying over the restricted area
of Soo Locks, south of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Following standard procedure,
USAF personnel immediately scrambled an F-89C all-weather interceptor from
Kinross Air Force Base to investigate the mysterious intruder. Piloting the
plane was Lieutenant Felix Moncla, Jr., with Lieutenant R.R. Wilson as radar
observer in the rear cockpit. Guided by ground radar, the jet raced westward
across Lake Superior at a speed exceeding five hundred mph. Within minutes it
had cut down the gap and would soon be picking up the object on its short-range
radar screen. Just as the F-89 appeared to be closing in on the target, the
ground radar men watched the two merge and disappear from the screen! In the
words of one stunned radar officer: "It seems incredible, but the blip
apparently just swallowed our F-89."4 Moments later, the radar controller
hurriedly radioed search and rescue authorities in the hope that the two airmen
would have had 104 time to bail out.5 As the search got underway, Lieutenant
Robert C. White of the Air Force press desk confirmed the mysterious
disappearance. His statement was followed by one from Truax Air Force Base to
Associated Press: The plane was followed by radar until it merged with an object
seventy miles off Keweenaw Point in upper Michigan. Kinross Air Force Base
spokesmen said the missing plane was equipped with two rubber rafts and that
each officer wore a life jacket.6 The Chicago Tribune ran the AP story in its
early edition, under the heading “Jet, Two Aboard, Vanishes Over Lake Superior,”
but deleted it from its later editions. In the following days, scores of
American and Canadian planes and boats criss-crossed the lake over hundreds of
square miles in search of the missing craft. No trace was ever found of the two
airmen, the jet, or the UFO. - Soon after, the U.S. Air Force issued a statement
that the so-called UFO had been identified by the F-89 pilot as an off-course
Canadian airliner, and that the jet had subsequently crashed into the lake after
the pilot had been stricken with vertigo (disorientation). This explanation
quickly came under fire from Canadian airline officials who denied having any of
their aircraft in the area at the time.7 Expert pilots also dismissed the
explanation stating that: “Moncla could have switched on the automatic pilot
until the vertigo passed; also Wilson could have taken over temporarily.”8 It
soon became apparent that attempts were being made to cover up the UFO
connection when, by some curious bureaucratic bungling, U.S. Air Force officials
were caught in the act of divulging highly contradictory information: As
customary, the Air Force sent two officers to the families of the lost airmen to
give them official messages of sympathy. . . . Explaining the accident, the Air
Force representative told Moncla’s widow that the pilot had flown too low while
identifying the supposed Canadian airliner and had crashed in the lake.9 105 Due
to a mix-up at headquarters a second USAF officer was sent out to offer
condolences to Mrs. Moncla. When she asked him if her husband’s body could be
recovered, he told her that there was no chance as “the jet had exploded at a
high altitude, destroying the plane and its occupants!”10 After more than a year
of obstinately adhering to the Canadian airliner story, USAF suddenly altered
its stance. Major William I. Coleman, a Headquarters spokesman, revealed that
the F-89 had in fact intercepted an RCAF C-47. This new explanation once again
fell apart when, in response to inquiries from NICAP officials, the RCAF Chief
of Air Staff spokesman disclosed that: A check of Royal Canadian Air Force
records has revealed no report of an incident involving an RCAF aircraft in the
Lake Superior area on the above date.11 Later, NICAP received an even more
emphatic denial from the RCAF, confirming that the C-47 had flown exclusively
over Canadian territory. Furthermore, its flight plan would have been known to
U.S. radar station operators, who would have had no difficulty in identifying
the Canadian plane. As a final blow to the USAF fairy tale, the C.47 was
reportedly travelling eastward from Winnipeg to Sudbury, whereas the UFO had
flown in the opposite direction - westward.12 To this day no trace of the jet
interceptor has been found. 1 Donald I. Keyhoe, Flying Saucers: Top Secret (New
York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964), p. 221. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid., p.
222. 5 Donald I. Keyhoe, Aliens From Space (Toronto: New American Library of
Canada Limited, 1974), P. 166. 6 Donald I. Keyhoe, Flying Saucers, p. 222. 7
Donald I. Keyhoe, Aliens, p. 167. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Richard H. Hall,
ed. The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National Investigations Committee on
Aerial Phenomena, 1964), p. 115. 12 Ibid. Alberta - Montana Border Early 1952 In
1971, nuclear physicist and ufologist Stanton Friedman revealed details of yet
another mysterious disappearance of a military jet while in pursuit of a UFO.
The incident was initially described to him by a Mr. Y., a former United States
Air Force radar specialist, and one of the principal witnesses. Mr. Y.’s
credentials were indeed impressive; after almost thirty years in radar operation
and interpretation, he had served all over the world, training both 106 military
and commercial air personnel in the operation of various radar systems. At the
time of the sighting in early 1952, he was a radar operator at one of the five
closely linked U.S. Air Defence Command installations in Grand Falls, Montana
region, south of the Alberta border. The sighting was described by Mr. Friedman
in these words: Mr. Y’s crew had been notified by Canadian radar installations
in the Calgary area that three UFOs were heading south towards the United States
at not too rapid a pace. The radar picked up the UFOs and a United States Air
Force jet interceptor was scrambled from a base in eastern Washington. Radio and
radar contact were maintained with the plane’s pilot as he was vectored toward
the UFOs, which were also under radar observation. The pilot, at sixteen
thousand feet radioed that be saw two of the UFOs! Shortly later, he and his
plane just disappeared! No wreckage was ever found, though a search and rescue
plane was immediately dispatched and the radar people knew exactly where the
plane had been at the time it disappeared!1 Following this incident, interceptor
fighter plane pilots were ordered to keep a safe distance of at least ten miles
from any UFOs they pursued. They were also instructed to obtain as much film
footage as possible of the incident.2 Friedman wondered why these films remained
classified material. It is also interesting that Mr. Y. was instructed to bypass
the official U.S. Air Force committee studying UFOs, known as Project Blue Book,
when reporting sightings. According to Friedman: Because [Mr. Y.} was the only
one of many operators in the five groups to have Top Secret security clearance,
it was his responsibility to prepare the group 'overlays' from pictures taken of
the scopes at each installation and submit this classified data to Air Defence
Command (ADC) - not Project Blue Book... No information was ever sent back to
him, but on occasion his reports were acknowledged or complimented.3 Friedman’s
disclosure supports the contention long held by 107 critics that Project Blue
Book was simply a USAF public relations front set up to 'debunk' and discredit
any UFO sightings. It would appear that the 'meat and potatoes' sightings were
secretly investigated by ADC, while the easily explained, non-controversial
cases were left to Project Blue Book and, in effect, the public. 1 Canadian UFO
Report, Vol. 2, No. 3, p. L 2 Ibid., p. 13. 3 Ibid., p. 13. Fort Macleod,
Alberta August 23, 1956 Although pilots manage to photograph UFOs from time to
time, it is rare that such incidents reach public attention. One incident that
did occurred on August 23, 1956, when RCAF Squadron Leader Robert J. Childerhose
and Flight Lieutenant Ralph Innes were attempting to set a cross Canada speed
record with their F-86 Sabre jet.1 Over Fort Macleod in Alberta, at an altitude
of 36,000 feet, they spotted a bright luminous sphere below, travelling parallel
to their own aircraft. Before it could disappear, Childerhose succeeded in
photographing the intensely brilliant oval-shaped object, which emitted a
plasma-like glow from its underside. The fact that the airmen were successful in
establishing a speed record of five hours which remained unchallenged for over
ten years almost came as an anti-climax after their unusual mid-air encounter.
Later, as a civilian, Childerhose became an avid UFO investigator and he
contributed numerous articles on the subject to various publications. 1 Toronto
Telegram, January 2, 1965. Regina, Saskatchewan August 16, 1968 Flying over
Regina, Saskatchewan on August 16, 1968, the eight-man crew of a Canadian Forces
Hercules C-130E observed a peculiar cigar-shaped craft of unidentified origin,
as it crossed their flight path at 2:51 AM during a routine flight from Namao
Air Force Base, north of Edmonton, to Rivers Air Force Base in southwestern
Manitoba. The incident was 108 described in an unclassified report to Canadian
Forces Headquarters in Ottawa: Observed by seven man crew and by Captain through
twelve-power field glasses. Appeared as elongated sphere or dirigible-shaped
with five or six rectangular-shaped dark patches on side. No gondola or tail.
Aluminum or similar surfaces reflected the sun. No contrail from UFO, although
Air Canada Flight 851 contrail observed continuously from 2 AM to 3 AM. UFO was
visible to naked eye of crew for about one and a half minutes, then it shrank
rapidly in size and disappeared to the southwest very, very rapidly. It
reappeared faintly twice in the next five minutes to four crew members, probably
due to reflected light.1 The captain advised the Winnipeg RCAF Centre of the
sighting and also requested that U.S. Control in Montana be notified. It is not
known whether the object registered on the Hercules radar screens or on
ground-level radar. But this case is noteworthy because it involves eight
reliable specialists, who were unanimous in their account of what they had
viewed. Also, the reported Zeppelin-like shape, the unusual patches along the
fuselage, as well as the high-speed velocity, conclusively ruled out the
possibility of a misidentified conventional craft. 1 Herzberg Institute of
Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research Council,
Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, N68-044, (Ottawa). Southern Ontario April 21,
1952 Shortly after noon on April 21, 1952, hundreds of people in southern
Ontario reported spotting a "dark, cylindrical object", travelling at high speed
and high altitude, emitting a distinctive vapour trail.1 The craft was first
sighted over Toronto, but within minutes, London Airport officials saw it flying
overhead. Local military officials immediately set out to investigate. According
to London Free Press: ...Fighter aircraft from No. 428 Squadron attempted 109 to
intercept the plane, but it quickly left them behind. The Mustang fighter pilots
pushed their craft to speeds of 450 miles an hour in the futile chase.’ The
incident occurred exactly a week after a disk-shaped UFO had been observed over
North Bay Air Force Base. The sighting had triggered statements from public
officials confirming the government’s recognition of the UFO enigma.2 In this
instance, however, RCAF Headquarters in Ottawa stated that the object was a
British Canberra bomber, on a high-speed flight from Montreal to Omaha,
Nebraska. The aircraft, one of the fastest at that time, reportedly landed at
Offut Air Force Base in Omaha at 1:05 PM Eastern Standard Time.8 Most military
personnel who had witnessed the sighting disagreed with the official RCAF
statement. Wing Commander A.D. Haylett, Officer Commanding No. 420 City of
London Rescue Squadron, was of the opinion that the object was travelling about
two thousand miles per hour! He stated: "I’m pretty firm in the opinion that it
couldn’t have been an aircraft. Not at that speed. I’ve never been a believer in
flying saucers but I’m pretty sure now there’s something going on around this
planet that we should be paying lots of attention to."4 Another RCAF officer,
who requested anonymity, doubted that the Canberra, flying at top speed with a
strong tail wind, could even approach a speed of a thousand miles per hour. The
RCAF failed to explain why the order was given to scramble jet fighters and to
intercept the unidentified craft. Presumably, the instructions came as a result
of fruitless efforts by military officials to establish contact with the UFO.
Normally civilian air traffic would respond to identification requests from the
military. Furthermore, the reported time of sighting over Toronto would not have
corresponded with the passage of the Canberra over the city. The craft was
spotted over Toronto shortly after noon, while the Canberra reportedly arrived
at Omaha less than one hour later. To accept the RCAF explanation, the Canberra
would have had to cover the thousand-mile distance between the two cities in
less than 110 an hour (at a speed exceeding a thousand miles per hour). But the
Canberra’s maximum cruising speed is six hundred miles per hour. The British
bomber would therefore have bad to be over Toronto between 11:00 and 11:30 AM,
or fortyfive to sixty minutes before the passage of the unidentified craft. More
evidence supporting the UFO theory came from other people who had spotted UFOs
over Toronto on that same day. The London Free Press reported: One resident
reported seeing about fifty lights in V-formation moving rapidly from southeast
to Northwest. He said the lights were dim orange and appeared to be at great
height. He heard no sound. The David Dunlap Observatory on Toronto’s outskirts
said it had no record of the lights. They might have been meteors, observatory
officials said, since they are prevalent at this time of year.5 1 London Free
Press, April 21, 1952. 2 Ibid. 3 Ottawa Citizen, April 16, 1952. 4 London Free
Press. April 21 1 952 5 Ibid. Goose Bay Air Force Base, Labrador December 15,
1952 and September 4, 1968 Goose Bay Air Force Base in Central Newfoundland has
been a veritable 'hot spot' of UFO activity. Over the years, dozens of incidents
were witnessed by a number of Canadian and U.S. military pilots. The two
incidents described here - one a UFO pursuit - clearly demonstrate the irregular
and highly advanced maneuvers that have become characteristic of most sightings.
The first incident dates back to December 15, 1952, when the crews of a USAF
T-33 jet trainer anti an F-94B interceptor spotted a brilliant red and white
object, seemingly motionless in the sky, at an altitude of fifteen thousand
feet. After fixing the target on their radar screens the pilots of both aircraft
set out in pursuit of the object, straining their own craft to maximum speeds of
375 knots (431 mph).1 During the half-hour chase, the elusive UFO seemed to be
playing a game of cat and mouse, literally leading the poor jets around in
circles. As Major Donald Keyhoe reported: 111 The radar in the fighter got a
lock on the target that, although at an azimuth reading coinciding with that of.
ground radar crews, was regarded as too brief to be acceptable by Air Force
Intelligence, and so was dismissed as a mechanical malfunction - as far as the
F-94B fighter’s radarscope was concerned.2 Tiring of the joyride, the UFO
suddenly straightened out and shot away at breathtaking speed. Faced with this
potentially newsworthy occurrence, U.S. Air Force officials dismissed the
incident, stating that the mysterious object was none other than the old
favourite standby - the planet Venus. Even though the fighter’s radar readings
corresponded with those of ground radar, military authorities had the audacity
to explain the incident as a radar malfunction which had caused both screens to
scan the planet Venus. One wonders what the two pilots must have thought when
they heard that a scarlet and white 'planet' had led them in spaghetti-like
pursuit for over thirty minutes before streaking away into the wild blue yonder!
Almost sixteen years later, on September 4, 1968, two U.S. Air Force pilots,
flying in the vicinity of Goose Bay AFB, spotted an unidentified spherical craft
headed in a southerly direction. During the five-minute sighting, it performed
maneuvers that left the two airmen completely astounded. Although lacking in
detail, a report from Goose Bay. Air Force Base to Canadian Forces Headquarters
describes some of these maneuvers: Approximately round, silver metallic in
colour, no sound and no vapour trail. Appeared to be one-half the size of a jet
in flight between thirty-three and forty-one thousand feet. Speed was
approximately the same as a jet. Object crossed high-flying jet track behind jet
(ours). Stopped. Did two 3600 turns. Continued for one to two minutes and
stopped again. Object disappeared from view at approximately 30° above the
horizon and was one-half size in relation to first observation. All local
facilities checked. Results negative.3 112 This report is typical of most
declassified military documents, and the data is, to say the least, fragmentary.
It does not specify what type of aircraft the two servicemen had been flying, or
whether the UFO bad registered on their radar. Did its presence affect the
operation of the on board instruments? Were attempts made to film or photograph
the object and if so what were the results? These are just a few of the
questions that to date have remained unanswered under the pretext of preserving
our national security. 1 Richard H. Hall, ed., The UFO Evidence (Washington,
D.C.: National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1964), p. 18. 2
Donald I. Keyhoe, The Flying Saucer Conspiracy (New York: Henry 1-kit &
Company. 1955), p. 277. 3 Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences
Section, National Research Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, N68-N17,
(Ottawa), Ontario. 113 Chapter 8 UFOs and Energy Generating Sites In some
quarters, one of the most disturbing aspects of the UFO phenomenon is the
concentration of sightings in the immediate vicinity of energy-generating
installations. This apparent UFO interest in power production centers has been
noted in virtually every corner of the world. Hundreds of witnesses from all
walks of life claim to have observed an assortment of unconventional aerial
craft over hydro, nuclear and thermal (fossil fuel) energy-generating
facilities. Frequently, these sightings have coincided with inexplicable power
disruptions which many observers have attributed to the presence of these
enigmatic craft. (See Chapter 9, “E.M. Effect and Power Blackouts”.) Curiously,
virtually every known sighting has occurred at night, or in the early morning
hours. This fact alone strongly suggests that UFOs (whether manned or not)
prefer to conduct their presumed monitoring activities when the risk of
detection and possible retaliation are least likely. What then might be the
possible motives behind these seemingly clandestine activities? Without going
into sensationalist speculation, some of the more plausible reasons might
include assessing our energy-producing activities, assessing the environmental
impact of energy-production and possibly tapping our electrical energy.
Assessment of Energy Production Activities. Although the appearance of UFOs date
back to pre-biblical times, the so-called modern era of sightings was coincident
with the reconstruction period immediately following World War II. This turning
point in history marked our fateful entry into 114 the nuclear age. To many,
this single leap by human kind into self-destructive capability seemed to have
triggered the widespread appearance by these phantom craft. The concentration of
sightings along high technology corridors has solidified the belief that the
faceless entities behind the UFOs may be engaged in surveying our progress in
harnessing energy sources and, in particular, nuclear energy. In view of the
fact that UFO sightings have centred around nuclear power production and missile
installations, we can assume that 'they' have recognised the dual application of
this energy. Perhaps sensing the delicate balance between peaceful and military
uses, their interest may lie in periodically surveying strategic sites to detect
any new developments that might upset the existing equilibrium. (India’s recent
transformation of nuclear applications is a case in point.) If, in fact (and
admittedly this is highly-speculative), 'they' envisage us to have a common
destiny, then their concern about our potentially apocalyptic Doomsday machines
is well-founded. Assessment of Environmental Impact. Contrary to what some
hydroelectric authorities would have us believe, electricity production is often
responsible for widespread environmental damage. Consider Hydro-Quebec’s recent
attempt to improve its image with the mass media slogan, "Nous sommes propre,
propre, propre" ("We are clean, clean, clean"). While electricity itself may be
termed clean, non-polluting energy, its generation inevitably creates harmful
ecological side effects. There seems to be mounting evidence that UFOs are
interested in assessing the extent of this damage to the environment. In several
UFO appearances over these facilities, unknown 'objects' have reportedly been
released by the craft into nearby lakes and forests. The prevalent theory is
that these 'objects' may be some form of probe or remote sensor designed to
sample and monitor the quality of air, water, soil and vegetation in the
immediate vicinity of nuclear generating plants. It would seem that the visitors
recognised the potentially catastrophic 'China Syndrome'. This environmental
concern, if that’s what it is, may reflect our visitors’ interest in evaluating
trends in environmental damage to the earth, for the purpose of projecting
potential hazards to the rest of the solar system and galaxy. 115 Tapping
Man-made Electrical Energy. UFOs have frequently been spotted hovering over or
flying along high voltage transmission lines. Some witnesses have reported
hearing a distinctive bum, resembling a generator, coming from these UFOs. This
has led to speculation that the mysterious craft may actually be involved in
draining some of our energy reserves. One such case which vividly illustrates
this possibility occurred outside Ottawa, near Hammond, Ontario, in April 1969.
Three witnesses were driving along a rural road when they were suddenly
confronted with a pinkish saucer-shaped craft, estimated to be thirty feet in
diameter. It was hovering above the high tension wires along the road. In the
words of one of the startled witnesses: "It then followed along the wires,
rising and falling with them, seeming to draw power from them." If, by some
sophisticated induction procedure, UFOs do possess the technology to siphon off
some of our 'electric gold', it stands to reason that hydroelectric utilities
would have records of these sudden power losses. Whether they do or not remains
a secret. If, and J do stress if, such unexplained losses have been registered,
might this not partially account for the recent escalation in the cost of
electricity to the consumer? On the other hand, the motives may be purely
altruistic and the reverse may be taking place. Realising the impending energy
crunch, they may be supplying power to our dwindling reserves via the
transmission lines. This possible scenario might explain some of the power
failures seemingly caused by sudden inexplicable power surges. (See Chapter 9,
'E.M. Effect and Power Blackouts.') 1 Ottawa Citizen, April 24, 1969. Pickering
Nuclear Energy Generating Plant, Pickering, Ontario December 31, 1974/February
4, 1975 Ontario Hydro operates a total of seventy-eight energy generating
stations, three of them nuclear fuelled. Ontario Hydro is the principal power
utility in the province. The Pickering Nuclear Generating Plant, east of
Toronto, is the second-largest electrical energy producing installation in the
province and 116 one of the world’s largest nuclear generating facilities. In
recent years, Pickering has become the focal point of persistent UFO attention.
More than, any other known incidents, the Pickering sightings have clearly
demonstrated UFO preoccupation with scanning and surveying the operations of
nuclear generating sites. The most intensive period of this type of
activity—some call it spying—stretched over a four-week-period beginning on New
Year’s Eve 1975. Three security guards stationed inside the plant were preparing
to greet the New Year when their attention was suddenly diverted to a bizarre
sight. Over Lake Ontario, just south of the plant, they saw a cluster of
brilliant red spheres. In a front-page account in Ontario Hydro’s publication,
'Hydroscope', Dave Percy, one of the guards, stated: One of the things moved in
from the lake and hovered over Number 3 and 4 reactor buildings. It was bright
red and seemed to pulsate. Comparing it with the size of the reactor buildings,
I would say it was about thirty feet across.1 At this point, the security men
alerted fire fighter Mike Dorian who noted that the object "hovered over the
station for six or seven minutes, then an explosion-like flash occurred and the
object took off." Oddly enough, at the time of the sighting, Reactor Number 3
was not in operation. It had been shut down five months earlier, following the
discovery of heavy water leaks in 19 of the reactor’s 390 pressure tubes.2 While
it would be highly speculative to suggest that the UFOs were specifically
monitoring the malfunctions, the fact that the disk-like craft hovered directly
over Reactor 3 tends to reinforce that possibility. A month after the New Year’s
Eve incident, a half dozen similar craft again made an appearance over
Pickering. The vessels, described as “balls of light” varying in colour from
bright red to almost white, remained in the area for over two hours. According
to security man Mike McKenna, stationed at the plant’s east gate on Brock Road,
the objects ap- 117 peared to be a number of miles away and looked to be about
the size of a softball. "But", he explains, "when you don’t know how far away
something is, you can’t tell how big it is and vice versa."3 Two of the luminous
craft then moved in from the lake and hovered over the service centre of the
plant. After remaining motionless for about half an hour, the craft abruptly
departed, shooting straight up into the sky at rocket-like speeds.
Understandably, the three security men were somewhat reluctant to discuss the
sightings, possibly for fear of public ridicule or even managerial sanctions. In
the words of Dave Percy: "We took an awful lot of ribbing. We thought they were
going to carry us off to [the hospital in] Whitby."4 Four nights later, several
Ajax and Pickering area residents were treated to a dazzling acrobatic display
by a dozen multicoloured UFOs once again maneuvering near the nuclear plant. The
witnesses included a Durham regional police constable, three Pickering ambulance
drivers, and Andy Parks, music director of radio station CHOO in Ajax. They were
"damn sure" the plant was besieged by UFOs for nearly eight hours! In describing
the movements of the silent red, green, yellow and pink craft, Andy Parks, who
holds a private pilot’s license stated that they were "floating around, zipping
this way and that". He maintained that "no planes move or pulsate like that!"5
At the same time he also swore that Oshawa Flight Control tower officials had
confirmed the presence of the 'unidentified' objects. But on the following day,
the same airport officials denied ever having seen any. 1 Ontario Hydro,
Hydroscope, Vol. 12, No. 6 (February 14, 1975) Toronto: p. 1. 2 Hydroscope, Vol.
11, No. 42 (December 6, 1974) p. 1. 3 Hydroscope, (February 14, 1975) p. 1. op.
cit~ 4 Ibid. 5 Toronto Sun, February 8, 1975. Douglas Point Nuclear Generating
Station, Douglas Point, Ontario September 11-17, 1967 Within weeks of going into
operation, Canada’s first full-scale nuclear power station became the scene of a
week-long rash of UFO sightings. Located between Port Elgin and Kincardine,
Ontario, on the eastern shores of Lake Huron, the 118 200,000 kilowatt Douglas
Point Generation Station began producing electricity in August, 1967.1 Judging
by numerous reports from credible witnesses, we are left with the impression
that the mysterious disk-shaped craft must have been involved in monitoring not
only the operation of the plant but also the water quality of Lake Huron in the
immediate vicinity of Douglas Point. The Toronto Telegram reported: Port Elgin,
Ontario—This village has a fully-fledged flying saucer mystery on its hands but
nobody wants to talk about it. At least seventeen people have seen a UFO over
Lake Huron in the past week here in Bruce County, about 180 miles Northwest of
Toronto. One sighting rated an entry in the official log of the Douglas Point
nuclear generating station of Ontario Hydro. Samuel Horton, superintendent of
the Hydro station about ten miles south of Port Elgin, said between six and
thirteen people at the plant sighted a saucer-shaped object last Monday, Sept.
11, 1967. The log entry reads: “On Monday, September 11, at 15:30 hours, (3:30
PM), a UFO was observed passing over the station in an easterly direction.”
Witnesses said they thought the object was part of an orbiting spacecraft until
it seemed to hover over the lake about one mile and a half out and then dropped
something into the water. One plant employee said he and others saw a similar
craft return two nights later and for the next five nights search for the
dropped object. One witness said he saw the craft hover near the station. Two
others said they saw sparks coming from it over the lake. Selfridge Air Force
Base [across the lake] did not investigate and made no radar contacts.2 A
similar report in 'Hydroscope' went on to say that plant employees were
reluctant to openly discuss the sighting, because as one said, "We don’t want
people to think we’re nuts!"2 While reports of UFOs ejecting small objects are
not uncommon, this case is unique in that the craft returned in an apparent
effort to retrieve the object. This suspected attempt may indicate that the
object was some form of device designed to gauge the emissions from the nuclear
plant. Nuclear generating plants are notorious for producing two types of
emission by-products which, when uncontrolled, can have a devastating
environmental impact. One such by-product is solid radioactive waste in the form
of lethal plutonium which requires elaborate storage facilities. According to
Ontario Hydro: Solid wastes are buried underground in concrete tile holes or
stored in steel-reinforced concrete trenches at special sites.4
Environmentalists have long argued that these special containers are potentially
vulnerable to long-term deterioration and geological shifts. The resulting
leakage of these lethal wastes would ultimately filter down into lakes and
rivers, setting oil an ecological chain reaction of catastrophic proportions.
The other by-product, in the form of heated water, is directly released into
lakes or rivers bordering nuclear generating facilities. All nuclear generating
stations require vast amounts of water for cooling purposes. In the cooling
process, the water temperature is raised by about 20° Fahrenheit, before being
released back to its original source.5 The long-range effect of this treated
water on a wide spectrum of aquatic life is now the focus of worldwide concern.
Clearly, this theory of possible UFO environmental concern is well-founded. It
is equally possible, of course, that this presumed gesture of 'cosmic humanism'
may be far less noble. The 'drop-off' exercise may simply have been a method of
collecting water for personal use. A less appetising possibility is that the
discarded container may have held garbage, or yet, biological wastes. After all,
the American astronauts who landed on the moon left behind more than just flags
and instruments. 1 Ontario Hydro, Bruce Nuclear Power Development, PRD 6409/20M/
3, 76, p. 1. 2 Toronto Telegram, September 18, 1967. 3 Ontario Hydro,
Hydroscope, Vol. 4, No. 3 (September 29, 1967) p. 4 Ontario Hydro. Hydro and the
Environment, PRD A6404-1OM, p.12. 5 Ibid. 120 Chalk River - Deep River, Ontario
February 8, 1967 The Chalk River region in northeastern Ontario, 160 miles west
of Ottawa, is one of Canada’s major energy producing and experimental centers.
Within a twenty-mile radius are the Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) station,
the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, and Des Joachims Hydro Generating System,
Ontario’s fourth largest hydro-electric station.1 Over the years, area residents
have periodically reported the presence of unidentified craft in the vicinity of
these installations. The most intensive period of UFO activity occurred on
February 8, 1 968, when fourteen witnesses, including eight Ontario Provincial
Police constables, were treated to an unforgettable display of aerial
manifestations.2 On that evening the presence of a circular multicoloured craft
disrupted one family’s dinner and apparently interfered with their television
reception.3 This particular sighting took place over the W.J. McCarthy farm,
three miles south of Deep River, across from the Des Joachims Hydro Generating
Station. The Ottawa Citizen reported: Miss Mary McCarthy, sixty-five, a retired
CPR wire operator, said her sixteen-year-old nephew, Lee Elliott, one of the six
children of Mrs. Dan Elliott, who also lives at the farm, had first sighted the
object from the supper table.4 There, on a hill, about a quarter of a mile away
from the farm was a circular craft with a large core of dazzling pulsating
yellow lights in its centre. From this core, red lights appeared to be pulsating
outward toward the rim of the craft, resembling the pulsations of an intricate
multicoloured neon sign. According to Miss McCarthy: When the object was spotted
at 6:43 PM, the television set went on the blink. When the object disappeared
about forty minutes later, the television reception was restored. 121 I was more
curious than scared, if the snowmobile was working, I would have gone to
investigate.5 For two of Mrs. Elliott’s children, Francis, eight, and Jamie,
three, the ordeal was a frightening and tearful experience, but the older
sisters, Margaret, thirteen, and Cathy, twelve, began drawing sketches of the
object, reproduced here. Ironically, the children were arguing about flying
saucers just as sixteen-year-old Lee spotted the UFO outside: "I had just said I
did not believe this stuff about the police seeing them."6 This reference was
made to the broadcast reports that eight OPP officers had viewed UFOs earlier
that same morning near Killaloe Station and Eganville, both located about sixty
miles south of Chalk River. One of the objects was described in the OPP reports:
... very bright, then dimmed to a red tinge in the low sky. Hovered over barn
for five minutes, then rose in height. Moving very fast, then stopped. Glowed
brightly, then dimmed with red tinge again. Viewed for forty-five minutes. No
pickup on radar, nor sighting by Station Foymount personnel.7 In an attempt to
defuse the controversy generated by the clay-long sightings, spokesmen at the
Petawawa Canadian Forces Base, seventeen miles east of Chalk River, were quick
to dismiss the sightings as misidentified "flares from a plane."8 One wonders
why they didn’t dare question the testimonies of the eight OPP officers. The
local press reported: "The Canadian Forces Base here at Petawawa has solved the
mystery of the unidentified flying object seen by residents Thursday night in
the Pembroke area. Captain Ken Parks, an information officer at the base, said
planes were shooting flares in the area at, the same time as residents spotted
the object. A number of persons reported seeing a bright blinding light ringed
with small red lights."9 122 When was the last time you saw a sixteen-foot-wide
circular flare with a built-in multicoloured light show? 1 Ontario Hydro,
Hydroscope, Vol. 6, No. 4 (February 7, 1969). 2 Ontario Hydro, Power From the
Ottawa, PRD A9394 19.5M. 3 Ottawa Citizen, February 9, 1968. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6
Ottawa Journal, February, 1968. 7 Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary
Sciences Section, National Research Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings, File
N68-012, (Ottawa). 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. Duncan, British Columbia March 7, 1969 A UFO
sighting on Canada’s west coast in 1969 again shows UFO interest in energy
generating facilities, but also demonstrates another rarely reported phenomenon
occasionally associated with UFOs - the psychic or paranormal dimensions. On the
evening of March 7, a strange case of apparent UFO 'mind-reading' took place in
the town of Duncan, on the east coast of Vancouver Island. At about 8:30 PM,
Mrs. William Marshall, her daughter and her daughter’s friend— the latter both
University of Victoria students—were driving to a store near the Marshall home,
when they spotted a bright red light crossing the sky. At first they thought it
might be a NASA space capsule carrying astronauts, but when the craft stopped
and hovered momentarily before moving in the opposite direction, they became
intrigued. When they returned home, Mrs. Marshall’s husband and her mother
joined in watching the mysterious vessel. According to Mrs. Marshall, the
object: ... appeared to be looking for something, speeding up and then slowing
down, almost to a standstill. It passed over Mount Prevost, and turned east
until it was over the large B.C. Hydro generating station [Georgia Thermal
Generating Plant] about four or five miles north of Duncan. By seeing the
lights, we were able to ascertain that the UFO hovered over the plant. It
hovered over the generating station for about fifteen minutes, and then returned
over Mount Prevost again in a westerly direction for a time. It again turned and
came straight towards our house, and as it passed over us we could see quite
plainly its shape as it was flying at a much lower altitude than previously, and
its lights threw their gleams onto the object. It was round in shape, and we
could plainly see it rotating. It had four lights, one green, one red, one
yellow and the other white. After passing slowly over our house, it hovered
around for a few more minutes, then speeded up and headed rapidly in an 123
eastern direction towards where I believe Vancouver is situated from here. I
timed bow long the UFO was in this area - forty minutes.1 It seems highly
unlikely that the passage of the UFO over the Marshall residence was purely
coincidental. There are hundreds of homes within a three- to four-mile radius of
the Georgia Generating Plant, any one of which could have been the target of the
UFO fly-by. The fact that the craft descended directly toward the location of
the witnesses and then "hovered around for a few more minutes" suggests an act
of surveillance. It would seem that the UFO, presumably manned, had detected
that its presence was being observed by members of the Marshall household. The
following day, one of Mr. Marshall’s fellow workers, Ernie Anderson of Duncan,
also reported having sighted the craft the previous evening. As further
confirmation, a local radio station carried an account of several sightings of a
similar craft on that same night over Vancouver. 1 Canadian UFO Report, Vol. 1,
No. 3 (May-June 1969) p. 4. 124 Chapter 9 The E. M. Effect and Power Blackouts
The next time your car stalls, your television set goes haywire or the city you
live in is suddenly plunged into darkness, look up at the sky. You may spot a
UFO! Hundreds of incidents have been reported all over the world in which UFOs
have been suspected of being instrumental in triggering electrical disruptions.
This is commonly known as the electromagnetic, or the E.M. effect and internal
combustion engines, household appliances, lighting systems, radios, television
sets and even power networks have at one time or another all apparently
succumbed to this mysterious phenomenon. Recent studies by physicists point to
some form of high frequency electromagnetic radiation (microwave radiation) as a
likely explanation for the EM. effect.' What remains unexplained is whether
these disruptions are deliberate or accidental. One prevalent theory is that
although the electromagnetic fields emitted by UFOs appear to inadvertently play
havoc with the normal flow of electrical currents, they are not generally viewed
as deliberate acts of sabotage, hostility or even mischief. Another possibility,
previously explored here is that the suspected siphoning off or distribution of
electricity by UFOs may, as a side effect, produce power failures. We cannot,
however, rule out the disturbing possibility that, in cases involving
large-scale power blackouts, some UFOs may be deliberately testing the strength
and obvious vulnerability of our power transmission systems. 125 UFOs are
apparently notorious for causing three types of disruptions - internal
combustion engine failure - household appliance outages and large-scale power
blackouts. Internal Combustion Engine Failures The E.M. effect has caused
failures in all types of electrically sparked engines, with the exception of
diesel engines. This, fact supports the theory that the disruptions are
electrical or electromagnetic in nature.2 Automobiles, trucks, buses, tractors,
snowmobiles, lawn mowers and even aircraft have at one time or another been
silenced by a passing UFO. The most frequently reported E.M. effects usually
involve motorists driving along relatively remote rural roads. Their cars may
suddenly lose power or their engines may seize completely. As they look up there
is a strange-looking craft, usually disk-shaped, hovering at low altitude. This
is followed by strong static on car radios. At night, the headlights may dim or
extinguish completely. in every known case, the electrical systems resumed
normal operation following the departure of the craft. Household Appliance
Outages The E.M. effect disrupts household appliances in different ways.
Television sets are the hardest hit with reported interferences ranging from
distorted and blurred images to dimming and/or loss of audio.3 Evidently, the
problem is not one of total power loss, since in all cases the sets were
partially operative. In rarer instances, electric clocks, toasters, washers and
houselights went 'on the blink' whenever a UFO passed overhead. To a lesser
extent, plug-in and battery-operated radios have also been temporarily silenced
by the EM. effect. While most of them failed completely, some reportedly emitted
static, pulsations and 'shrieking', as well as peculiar Morse Code type beeps,
dots and dashes. This has prompted Large-scale Power Blackouts The reported
concentration of UFOs over electrical generating and transmission installations
has often resulted in unexplained power failures. Is there a direct
relationship? The most widely accepted explanation is that the magnetic fields
accompanying UFOs produce in 126 -creased power flows that overload transmission
lines, trip circuit breakers and set up a chain reaction of uncontrolled power
breakdowns.4 Two of the most prominent blackouts, during which UFO tampering has
been suspected, were the massive 'Northeast Blackout' in November 1965 and a
hushed-up power disruption on Ottawa's Parliament Hill in May 1969. 1 James M.
McCampbell, 'Ufology: New insights from Science and Common Sense' (Belmont. Ca.:
Jaymac Company. 1973). p. 52. 2 Ibid., p. 51. 3 Ibid.. p. 55. 4 Ibid., p. 57.
The Great Northeast Blackout November 9, 1965 On November 9, 1965, the
northeastern region of the United States and Canada was abruptly plunged into
blackness. The worst blackout on record came to be known as the 'Big Blackout'.
The facts are well known. At 5:16 PM, at the height of the evening rush hour,
electrical power to one-sixth of the continent's population was suddenly cut
off, trapping millions of people on expressways, in elevators and in office
buildings. Altogether, thirty million people in eight U.S. states and in the
province of Ontario were affected by the disruption.' In Ontario the blackout
was confined to the eastern portion of the province - from Timmins in the north,
across to Cornwall in the east and south toward Sarnia. Windsor, Ottawa and
Sudbury were the only eastern centers to escape the blackout.2 Yet within three
hours power was restored to most parts of the province. Mass media coverage
naturally focused on the human aspect of the blackout and to a lesser extent, on
the delay in determining the cause of the breakdown. There was, however, an even
more dramatic story. UFOs had been reported in the vicinity of strategic hydro
installations at the time of the blackout. The impressive number of credible
sightings led many researchers to consider the possible role these craft may
have played in the power collapse. The researchers included the late Dr. James
E. MacDonald,3 a physicist at the University of Arizona; former NICAP director
Major Donald E. 127 Keyhoe; and astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the current
director of the Center for UFO Studies. Immediately following the breakdown, the
U.S. Federal Power Commission and the Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission
launched a full-scale investigation into the cause. At first, it was reported
that the trouble originated with a mechanical breakdown in a high voltage line
between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. According to the Globe and Mail: The report
turned out to be false. Then a substation near Syracuse was reported to be the
cause of the failure, but repairmen found it in perfect condition.4 Finally, six
days after the blackout, Ontario Hydro engineers traced the trouble to the
mammoth Sir Adam Beck No. 2 Generating Station at Queenston, Ontario, north of
Niagara Falls. It seems that just prior to the blackout, power was flowing from
Sir Adam Beck No. 2 into Ontario, then across the border via Cornwall into New
York State. In graphic terms, power was flowing clockwise in a loop around Lake
Ontario. At 5: 16 PM, a backup relay on one of the six lines linking Sir Adam
Beck to the rest of the province mysteriously tripped the line's circuit
breaker, which acts much like a household fuse. In quick succession the cut-off
power jumped to the other five lines, causing an overload that tripped the
circuit breakers on these lines as well. A veritable tidal wave of electricity -
million kilowatts - flowed in the opposite direction into New York State.5
Inexplicably, the relays on the New York lines failed to isolate and contain the
overload. Within seconds, the entire grid of thirty-one interconnected power
utilities of CANUSE (Canada-United States Eastern grid) had broken down.
Although experts could pinpoint the origin of the blackout, they were baffled by
the cause of the relay malfunction and the failure of the protective systems to
contain the overload, In the words of Ontario Hydro's system supervising
engineer, Jim Harris: "It's incredible! I would have said this was impossible if
I hadn't seen the evidence."6 The mystery deepened when it was discovered that
the relay had not in 128 fact, malfunctioned, but had merely reacted to a sudden
surge of power from an unknown source. As stated in the final report of the Us.
Federal Power Commission: "The precise cause of the backup relay energisation is
now known."7 Where did the unexplained surge of power come from? To this day
that question has remained unanswered. Or has it? Although inconclusive, one
answer might lie in the findings of the late Dr. James E. McDonald who contended
that the magnetic fields accompanying UFOs can create sudden power surges in
transmission lines as the craft flies overhead.8 In theory, these power surges
could produce blackouts- of massive proportions. Since the 'Big Blackout',
McDonald's theory has gained considerable support in the light of strong
evidence confirming widespread UFO activity on that fateful evening. The
Syracuse Herald-Journal was inundated with calls reporting more than one hundred
sightings in the Syracuse area. One of the first came from Syracuse Deputy
Aviation Commissioner, Robert C. Walsh, who was flying over Syracuse at the time
of the blackout.9 Despite the darkness, be managed to land safely at Hancock
Airport. Standing on the runway, with some airport officials, he suddenly
noticed an enormous circular ball of light, drifting overhead. "It appeared to
be one hundred feet in the air and fifty feet in diameter."10 It rose for
several seconds, then suddenly disappeared. Moments later, a bewildered Walsh
and his companions watched an identical device ascending over the airfield,
before mysteriously "blinking out", as did its predecessor. Unlike the known
high-speed plunges of fireballs, these craft moved upward at moderate speed -
clearly under some form of intelligent control. At the same time, the mysterious
craft were also being observed overhead. Veteran flight instructor Weldon Ross
and his student, James Brooking, were approaching the darkened airport when they
spotted a second fiery object below. The giant craft, estimated at well over one
hundred feet in diameter, appeared to be positioned directly over the Clay
substation, a strategic installation that channels power from 129 Niagara Falls
to New York City.1 It was the same substation where hydro investigating teams
bad initially pinpointed the origin of the blackout. In a relentless pursuit of
a possible UFO-blackout relationship, Herald-Journal reporters succeeded in
uncovering even more explosive evidence. In a front page story seven days after
the blackout, the paper carried photographs of the mysterious red craft taken by
Mr. William Stiliwell, a sexton at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He described
what he had observed through a 117-power telescope: "The centre was rotating,
around and around and around. It came from the direction of DeWitt and shot. off
at an angle and then went back the way it came."12 He had watched the glowing
object for as long as two hours before it streaked away. While investigating
teams continued to dig for the mysterious cause of the power failure, press
coverage of a possible UFO connection gained momentum. In a strongly worded
editorial, the Indianapolis Star urged: "The answer is fairly obvious -
unidentified flying objects! It is one angle the multi-pronged investigation
should not overlook."3 Support for the UFO possibility intensified as news of
other sightings became known. In New York City, twenty minutes into the
blackout, witnesses in the Time-Life Building spotted a peculiar glow in the sky
over darkened Manhattan. According to Major Donald Keyhoe: "It appeared to come
from a round object hovering over the city. This was twenty minutes after the
lights began to go out. Several photographs were taken by a Time magazine
photographer, one of which appeared in the November 19th issue."14 Although
clearly visible in the photograph, Time editors failed to make any reference in
their photo caption to the spindle-shaped craft. Journalistic over 130 sight or
deliberate omission? The only hint of any usual aerial activity came in a
facetious reference to a Soviet satellite: Some New Yorkers, claiming that they
had seen a satellite pass over at the moment the lights failed, argued that the
Russians had done it again.15 But UFO investigator and author, the late Frank
Edwards disagrees with both the UFO and the Soviet satellite explanations. The
spindle-shaped thing could have been a UFO - but it certainly wasn't. It was
nothing more than an optical ghost, the result of reflections between the
elements of an air-spaced lens.16 While disputing the validity of the Time
photo, Edwards strongly supported the contention the UFOs were somehow involved
in activating the blackout. In fact, while conducting his own investigation into
the cause of the blackout he discovered that U.S. military authorities had been
well aware of the UFO presence, at least forty-five minutes prior to the power
failure.17 This startling disclosure came from two commercial pilots, Jerry
Whitaker and George Croninger, who were flying over Tidioute, Pennsylvania, when
they spotted two disk-shaped "shiny objects" overhead. Even more surprising was
the sight of two military jets chasing the mysterious craft. Moments later, one
of the disks put on a "burst of speed" and quickly outdistanced its pursuers.
While watching the fast-disappearing UFO, the dazed pilots lost sight of the
other object, which had presumably departed in the same manner. The most
spectacular UFO revelation, however, came one day prior to the release of the
'official' explanation when, speaking before a nationwide television audience,
NBC commentator Frank McGee announced that a private pilot had spotted "a round,
glowing object near the Niagara Falls power plant." 18 Associated Press picked
up the story and numerous newspapers subsequently carried it. The following
morning, a well-documented article appeared in the New York Journal American
blaming UFOs for the disastrous power-grid breakdown. 131 Any further media
focus on the UFO connection was brought to an abrupt halt, however, with the
release of the 'broken relay' explanation. Despite mounting evidence, the
Federal Power Commission bad predictably chosen to side-step the possible UFO
connection. This omission was eventually confirmed by Dr. James E. McDonald who,
as a respected scientist, was allowed to interview certain FPC officials. "They
admitted they had the Syracuse and Niagara Falls reports, also most of the
others on that night. But they wouldn't discuss the UFO possibility... No matter
what they believed, I think they were convinced the facts shouldn't be given to
the public, and that's why they agreed to the 'broken relay' story. At any rate,
it was obvious they were covering up."9 Under the circumstances there seems to
be a strong possibility that Canadian authorities were also involved in the
cover-up. Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission investigators, having become
aware of the UFO reports, collaborated with the FPC by exchanging information
that eventually led to the 'broken relay' explanation.20 Furthermore, this
explanation had apparently been pre-arranged and was released simultaneously, in
both countries.21 The Ontario Hydro press statement similarly neglected to
include UFOs as the possible cause for the blackout. One reputable American
ufologist went so far as to point an accusing finger at the late Lester B.
Pearson, then Prime Minister. Major Donald Keyhoe contends that: "To shift
attention from the UFO explanation, the 'broken relay' story was invented. Since
this could be construed as blaming Canada, the Premier must have been convinced
it was best for both countries not to disclose the true situation."22 If that
was the case, then it represents one of the most shocking deceptions ever
perpetrated - —leaving the heads of thirty one utility companies and thirty
million people to grope in the dark in more ways than one! 1 Time (November 19,
1965), Canadian Edition, p. 24. 2 Ibid., p. 23B. 3 John G. Fuller, Aliens in the
Skies: The New UFO Battle of the Scientists (New York: G.P. Putman and Sons,
1969), p. 85. 4 Toronto Globe and Mail, November 16, 1965. 5 Ibid. 6 Ontario
Hydro, Hydroscope, Vol. 2, No. 40 (November 19, 1965) p. 2. 7 James M.
McCampbell, Ufology: New Insights from Science and Common Sense (Belmont, Ca.:
Jaymac Company, 1973), p. 57. 8 James B. McDonald, Statement prepared for the
Hearings before a Committee of the U.S. Federal Power Commission. 9 Frank
Edwards, Flying Saucers: Serious Business (New York: Bantam Books, 1966), p.
147. 10 Ibid. 11 Donald E. Keyhoe, Aliens From Space (Toronto: The New American
Library of Canada Limited, 1973), p. 172. 12 Frank Edwards, op. cit., p. 148. 13
Donald E. Keyhoe, op. cit., p. 176. 14 Ibid., p. 172. 15 Time, op. Cit., p. 28A.
16 Frank Edwards, op. cit., p. 149. 17 Ibid. 18 Donald E. Keyhoe, op. cit:, p.
177, 19 Ibid., p. 182. 20 Toronto Globe and Mail, op. cit. 21 Ibid. 22 Donald E.
Keyhoe, op. cit., p. 180. 132 Parliament Hill March July 1969 The national
capital region of Ottawa-Hull has, over the years, become the scene of
widespread UFO activity. The most dramatic sequence of sightings occurred in
early 1969 when UFOs were spotted directly over Parliament Hill and the prime
minister's residence on Sussex Drive. In one case, which was never reported, the
Parliament Buildings were struck by a mysterious power blackout moments after a
UFO had been reported overhead. The flurry of sightings began on the evening of
March 4. First to spot a craft was RCMP Constable R. V. M., who at the time was
stationed near the Privy Council door. He stated: At 7:45 PM, an object was seen
from Parliament Hill, going through the sky at a terrific rate of speed, heading
from south to north. This object stopped and appeared to hover in the sky over
Hull. It gradually moved in a Northwest direction and at 9:34 PM disappeared
from view. It appeared to be round in shape and much smaller than the moon in
size.1 Six other RCMP officers stationed at various locations on Parliament Hill
watched the same object. They notified National Defence authorities at Royal
Canadian Air Force Uplands Base and, to their surprise, RCAF Captain H.R.W. told
them that “he would not be taking any action concerning the object.”2 Thirty
minutes later, RCMP Constable R.J.S. was startled by the appearance of two UFOs
hovering above Sussex Drive, between the prime minister's residence and
Government House, the governor-general's residence. According to the witness: At
approximately 10:00 PM, while on foot patrol from the police lodge at Government
House to the Prime Min- 133 ister's residence, I noticed two rather bright
flashing red lights in the sky. At first glance, I assumed they were aircraft,
but could hear no sounds of engines. One of these lights proceeded east and was
lost from view within a minute or less, while the other one travelled in a
westerly direction. These lights were first seen directly overhead at a point
slightly inside the gates to Government House and were very bright red. No
definite shape could be distinguished nor was there any type of trail visible
behind these lights.3 Two other RCMP constables stationed on Parliament Hill
also spotted the mysterious red craft overhead. As soon as it appeared it shot
straight down toward the river as if on a suicide crash course. Just before
impact, it suddenly changed direction and shot back up, performing an
extraordinary ninety-degree turn! The object shone like a star, was small and
had no discernible shape. Just before it disappeared, there appeared to be an
orange brown trail.4 Three months later, on the evening of June 5, three
Parliament Hill RCMP constables together with three young tourists were
mystified by a peculiar luminous craft hovering over the Ottawa River behind the
Parliament Buildings. It was 10:12 PM. They watched as the vessel emitted a
dazzling array of lights, changing from red to green to red to white.5 Within
minutes, the attraction in the sky became the subject of grave concern to
security officials on Parliament Hill. According to the RCMP: At 10:10 PM, all
the lights on Parliament Hill - East, West and Center Blocks - went out. Mr.
L.T. of Ontario Hydro was notified, but he said the cause could not be
ascertained at the time.6 With Parliament Hill totally blacked out, attention
focused on the unidentified craft which was now moving eastward, with an up and
down ping-pong-ball-like trajectory. It finally settled above Eastern Hull and
Pointe Gatineau across the river from the Prime Minister's residence. There it
remained 134 stationary for about five minutes, with its lights blinking on and
off. About ten minutes later, "it proceeded west of Hull at an altitude of
approximately a thousand feet and came across the river in the Ottawa area and
disappeared from view behind high buildings of Wellington Street at about 10:35
PM. All this while, the object was of no discernible shape."7 Twenty minutes
later, the same witnesses spotted a bright luminous object due south of Ottawa.
This time, it was accompanied by a smaller craft five hundred feet below it.
According to the onlookers, it was difficult to determine whether this was the
object they had seen before. The two craft, now in the vicinity of the RCAF base
at Uplands Airport, continued to float about for another fifteen minutes before
disappearing. The apparent inaction by federal defence forces regarding both
these UFO visitations demonstrates the government's indifference to a
potentially serious situation. From all accounts, no military jet interceptors
were scrambled in response to the presence of these unidentified and visibly
'alien' craft over the city. We can only speculate whether this seeming
indifference by the government is based on bureaucratic myopia, disbelief in
RCMP reports or an open admission of helplessness. Whatever the answer, the
Department of National Defence continues to maintain its policy of silence,
referring all UFO inquiries to the National Research Council, which admits that
it does not actively solicit or investigate UFO reports.8 It is equally
disturbing that neither the sighting nor the blackout received noticeable press
coverage. A check of subsequent editions of the Ottawa Journal and the Ottawa
Citizen failed to reveal any reference to either event. Whether this omission
was intentional or accidental does not alter the fact that while two potentially
explosive events were taking place, the public was left virtually in the dark.
The scrutiny of Canada's national capital region by UFOs was not over, however.
Six weeks later, on the morning of July 20, Ms. Manque D., a resident of Hull,
Quebec, and an employee of the National Research Council, was going to 135 work
across the river, when she suddenly noticed a bright oval object overhead.9
Resembling a gigantic watermelon, the orange craft hovered above her momentarily
before zooming noiselessly across the Ottawa River. To her astonishment, the
craft stopped directly above the Parliament Buildings. It remained stationary
for several minutes, then with a burst of speed it was gone from sight. Soon
after, the National Research Council switchboard was swamped with telephone
calls from people in the area who had also witnessed the sighting. One of them
was a Hull police officer. NRC scientists, however, chose not to conduct an
investigation because they felt they bad insufficient information. 1 Herzberg
Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research
Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, N69-077, (Ottawa). 2 Ibid., N69-077. 3
Ibid., N69-078. 4 Ibid., N69-077. 5 Ibid., N69-104. 6 Ibid., N69-104. 7 Ibid.,
N69-104. 8 UFO-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 7 (1976), p. 12. 9 Non-Meteoritic Sightings
File, op. cit., N69-128. The Province of Quebec July 20 - 23, 1971 On July 23,
1971, most of Quebec was struck by a massive power blackout that chiefly
affected the two major urban centers - Montreal and Quebec City. Quebec UFO
researcher Claude MacDuff is convinced that this disruption, as well as several
other outages during the same period, can be directly related to the presence of
UFOs.1 This case is somewhat reminiscent of the 'Big Blackout' since in both
instances widespread UFO sightings were followed by shaky 'official'
explanations. The disruption began at about 8:26 PM Daylight Saving Time.2 It
was relatively short-lived; by midnight power had been restored to most areas.
Following the failure, spokesmen at Hydro-Quebec could not immediately account
for the mysterious breakdown. After six days of silence, Quebec residents were
finally given the 'official' explanation. Mother Nature was singled out as the
likely culprit. According to the morning tabloid 'Montreal Matin'. The blackout
which paralyzed a large sector of the province of Quebec on July 23, 1971, might
have been caused by lightning damage to a 750 kilowatt power 136 line. After
careful analysis of the causes that may have activated the relay systems,
Hydro-Quebec concluded that an 'arc drop' coinciding with the lightning bolt
must have caused a false signal that triggered the relays. The simultaneous
cut-out of service from three lines of 735,000 volts caused the general
blackout.3 This story did not impress Claude MacDuff who categorically denied
the lightning explanation based on evidence that: "during that same period, no
regional storm or thunderstorm was registered in the area where the main
electric power stations, or even substations are located... and no precise
indication was given as to the exact location of the station damaged by
lightning. MacDuff pointed to the numerous UFO sightings during the week
preceding the blackout, some in the immediate vicinity of hydro transmission
stations. Specifically, be referred to a well-documented incident over the
Manicouagan hydroelectric complex shortly before the outage of July 23.4 This
massive installation, located 240 miles northeast of Quebec City, consists of
five dam sites that generate a substantial part of the province's electrical
energy. The pattern of sightings appeared to have been concentrated along the
Saint Lawrence River corridor, from Manicouagan and Rimouski, south through the
Montreal region, and stretching toward Ottawa-Hull. Two days before the
blackout, round, flashing craft had been observed in the Rimouski region which
lies across the river from the Manicouagan complex. These sightings had received
considerable attention in the province's most prestigious newspaper, the
Montreal-based Le Devoir, which reported in its July 23 edition that: Several
round unidentified objects, continuously pulsating, were observed in the sky
from various locations in the Rimouski area, causing some consternation with the
local population. The phenomenon, sighted Tuesday night, July 20, 1971, at
Rimouski, St. Odile, Sacré Coeur and Bic, was described by many witnesses as
rotating, fire-red in colour with green and blue rays flashing around. The most
ac- 137 ceptable hypothesis is that the objects could have been artificial
satellites of earthly origin, seen under special conditions, but this has been
rejected by the Chairman of the Physics Department at the Centre d'Etudes
Universitaires de Rimouski. Michel Campagnat stated that such satellites cross
the sky in an arc in ten minutes and cannot in any way be geo-stationary, as in
the case of the sighted objects.5 Since it wasn't a plane, helicopter,
satellite, weather balloon or meteor, what was it? On that same evening, a woman
living on a farm outside St. Hyacinthe, forty miles east of Montreal, watched as
two dark circular craft with red rotating lights hovered over her potato field
and then suddenly disappeared. The next morning, her husband found two
eleven-foot-wide circular patches of crushed and burned potatoes exactly where
the two UFOs had hovered the night before. Investigators from UFO-Quebec
inspected the patches and concluded that "the object topped at a height of about
fifteen feet, and burned a circular area with some form of radiation or
energy."6 In conclusion, then, the massive power blackout coincided with
widespread and very credible eye-witness reports of UFO sightings, some near key
hydroelectric generating sites. Added to this is yet another questionable
'official' explanation. While no direct proof is available linking the blackout
to the sightings, there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to suggest
seriously the possibility of the blackout being UFO-related. The 'jury' is still
deliberating... 1 Claude MacDuff, Le Procès des Soucoupes Volantes (The Trial of
the Flying Saucers), (Montreal: Editions Quebec-Amerique, 1975). 2 La Presse,
July 24, 1971. 3 Montréal-Matin, July 29, 1971. 4 Claude MacDuff, op. cit., p.
129. 5 Le Devoir, July 23, 1971. 6 Official UFO, Vol. 1, No. 6 (February 1975).
Rougemont, Quebec September 20, 1972 The province of Quebec has had more than
its share of encounters with airborne craft of unknown origin. On September 20,
1972, a night-time sighting near Mont Rougemont, twenty-five miles east of
Montreal, again coincided with widespread power disruptions believed to be
attributable to UFOs.1 138 This sighting involved one of the largest UFOs ever
reported and it draws attention to the attraction UFOs seem to have to
communication installations. In addition, attempts by the principal witness to
communicate with the massive craft were met with dramatic and hair-raising
response. On that September night, Mr. G.P. (identity known to UFO-Quebec
investigators) was driving home toward Rougemont. It was about 00:45 AM and
silhouetted against the bright moonlit sky he could see massive Mont Rougemont,
one of the many mountains that dot the landscape of the Eastern Townships. About
two miles from the intersection that led to his residence, he noticed a peculiar
flying ball of dazzling light on his left. The luminous sphere appeared to be
headed toward the lower slopes of the mountain and was now moving in a peculiar
up and down pendulum-like trajectory. As he watched, he was overwhelmed by the
dimensions of the spherical craft which be estimated to be well over 350 feet in
diameter (the height of a thirty-five storey building). A thin, luminous
wedge-like ring encircled the gigantic mass, giving it a striking resemblance to
the planet Saturn. Just above the ring, a series of oval 'windows' or
'portholes' were emitting a brilliant white light that illuminated the entire
craft. Hoping to get a better look, he stopped his car on the side of the road,
roughly half a mile away from it. He left the motor running and stepped out of
his vehicle to view the object which was now slowly drifting past two
communications installations - one a Canadian National-Canadian Pacific
microwave relay tower, the other a television transmission antenna. To add to
the eerie spectacle, the craft was moving in complete silence. As it reached the
base of the thousand-foot-high butte, it stopped its swinging motion and began a
slow vertical climb to the top of the butte. From there, it hovered barely a few
feet above the tree tops. Just then another car, a Volkswagen, pulled up behind
and the driver got out.2 She and her passenger were both trembling with fear,
visibly shaken by the unearthly sight. While exchanging a few words with Mr.
G.P. they kept their eyes riveted to the vessel in the sky, which had now begun
a slow colour metamorphosis. Its bottom half had turned to blazing rosy red and
then changed back to its original metallic tinge. This pulsating procedure was
repeated at regular intervals, 139 creating a surrealistic image that gave the
whole mountainside a rose-coloreds, dream-like appearance. This latest
performance filled Mr. G.P. with awe. The driver of the other car found this
cosmic light show too much to bear and with a moan of despair, she and her
passenger jumped back into the car and departed at full speed. Alone again, he
suddenly remembered reading about a UFO sighting during which a woman had
attempted to send signals to the craft with a flashlight.3 He climbed into his
car and began to flash his headlights on and off - a move which "I was to deeply
regret later!" The reaction was instantaneous. With incredible speed, the
massive sphere plunged toward him as if on a head-on collision course. Before he
could so much as gasp in horror, the blazing mass was overhead! He ducked but
could feel the car bounce from side to side as if struck by a hurricane. Then a
shrill suction noise blasted his ears - a nightmarish sound he said be would
never forget. Then... nothing. Total silence. Emotionally drained and shaking
like a leaf, be crawled out of his car and glanced around. There was no sign of
the craft. It had disappeared. Slowly he regained his composure and he tried to
start the car which had previously stalled. But the motor would not turn over.
Only after several attempts did it start. It was then that he realised his
eyesight had become blurred. This discovery only worsened his already nervous
state. He somehow managed to get home, but once there, he began to replay the
events in his mind. He couldn't fall asleep. He stayed up all night, perplexed
and stunned. When investigators from UFO-Quebec visited him three days later, be
still appeared dazed. He consented to lead them to the site and together they
scaled the butte, hoping to find some evidence. After a thorough search, all
they could find were leaves which had turned brown. This was inconclusive
evidence, since it could easily have been caused by the seasonal autumn
discolouration. They did discover, however, that the flight path of the UFO
corresponded with a major geological fault line. This apparently was a recurring
pattern, matching similar sightings in the area. Aside from the stalling car
engine, other E.M. effects soon came to light. Upon questioning nearby
residents, it was learned that reception on several television Sets had been
mysteriously disrupted at the exact time of this reported sighting. 1
UFO-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1975) p. 4. 2 Canadian UFO Report, Vol. 3, No. 1
(1974) p. 20. 3 UFO-Quebec, op. cit., p. 5. 140 Chapter 10 UFOs and Radar Sites
That UFOs are interested in /'scouting' some of our strategic military radar
facilities is becoming increasingly apparent. Personnel manning radar stations
along the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line and Pinetree Line have often been
mystified by the visitations of UFOs in the vicinity of these defence outposts
which are off-limits to all but authorised personnel. At the height of the Cold
War in August 1957, the two thousand-mile DEW Line began to operate on the
northern perimeter of the continent.1 Under U.S.-Canadian command, it marked the
birth of a joint defence agreement, better known as the North American Air
Defence Command (NORAD). Designed to detect incursions into North American air
space by enemy aircraft and missiles, the DEW Line today comprises thirty-one
radar stations from Greenland to Alaska, twenty-one of which are in Canada.2
Soon after, the older Pinetree Line which bad been in operation since 1952, was
incorporated into the NORAD plan. It comprises a string of twenty-two radar
stations on the northern perimeter of border population concentrations. As with
most matters pertaining to NORAD, very little is known about the operations of
radar stations. It is therefore not surprising that even less is known about
radar-tracked UFO sightings. Added to that, the northern DEW Line sites are in
remote, isolated tundra regions where few civilian witnesses would observe a UFO
presence. Not only are military personnel at DEW Line sites sworn to secrecy
about 141 their work, but members of the local indigenous Inuit population
probably would not trust a white man enough to inform him if they had sighted a
UFO. A similar situation applies to stations along the Pinetree Line, which
largely are also located in fringe, rural areas. However, alien craft have been
known to appear over the few Pinetree stations which are closer to urban
concentrations. Radar stations are then inundated with phone calls from local
residents inquiring whether the object had appeared on radar screens. This
public inquisitiveness usually puts officials in the position of having to
explain the sightings about which they themselves often have no information.
Official statements, however, rarely recognise such phenomena as being genuine
UFOs. The objects are usually dismissed as meteors, satellites, weather balloons
or the planet Venus. Quite often, an unexpected blip will show up on the
radarscope for which there is no visual sighting. This usually occurs under
conditions of darkness or low cloud cover, or where the blip is at an extremely
high altitude. Although unseen, these blips usually display flight maneuvers
characteristic of the UFO phenomenon, ranging from prolonged hovering to
bullet-like accelerations well beyond our current flight capabilities. Publicly,
they are often dismissed as false targets detected by radar screens. These can
be caused by curved beams bouncing off some ground object, dense nimbo-stratus
rain clouds, or even the mysterious slow-moving targets known as 'radar angels',
of which there have been no known visual observations. The "false target"
explanation has been openly challenged and rejected by many prominent
researchers, including NICAP’s panel of science advisors, which stated: that the
radar-UFO reports, after all, were made largely by experienced radar operators
who were convinced they had tracked something solid and unexplained... 3 Except
for cases of so-called "anomalous propagation" - false radar targets caused by
bending of radar signals - UFO targets on radar constitute objective
confirmation of the reality of unexplained objects in the atmosphere.4 One of
the most publicized UFO incidents that involve ra- 142 dar tracking is the
controversial in New Zealand sightings. In late December 1978 swarms of oval,
luminous UFOs were observed over New Zealand’s South Island by hundreds of
witnesses including pilots and members of a Melbourne, Australia television
crew. While the crew was filming the UFOs (ten were seen at one stage), civilian
aviation staff at Wellington Airport in New Zealand were tracking corresponding
targets "other than airplanes"5 on their radar screens. According to Wellington
air traffic controller A. Causer: "We now have recorded sightings by six pilots
on three Argosy aircraft over ten days and a host of radar sightings. There is
obviously some strange phenomenon and it needs to be investigated."6 Despite the
widespread visual and radar confirmation, however, most official explanations
attributed the UFOs to misidentified natural phenomena that ranged from
meteorites and the planet Venus to bright lights from Japanese fishing vessels
150 kilometers away! Another possible explanation comes from W.H. Lehn,
professor of engineering at the University of Manitoba, who in an interview with
Barbara Frum, host of CBC Radio’s 'As It Happens', suggested that the lights
were caused by the 'Novaya Zemlaya Effect'. Better known as an 'Arctic mirage',7
this effect involves light bouncing off the boundary between a warm and a cool
air layer often over vast distances. According to Professor Lehn, the light
source in this case could have originated with the distant Japanese fishing
vessels. He does admit, however, that: "I only managed to get about three
recorded sightings of it in past history in the last three hundred years."
Recent photo interpretation of the film by optical physicist Dr. Bruce Maccabee,
nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman and Dr. S. Allen Hynek has ruled out that the
objects were "planets, stars, balloons, meteors, other aircraft, secret military
maneuvers, radar angels, fishing boats or weather phenomena.'8 1 Windsor Star,
September 10, 1977. 2 Canadian Forces Command and Location Map, Mapping and
Charting Establishment, Department of National Defence, 1916. 3 Richard H. Hall,
The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National Investigations Committee on Aerial
Phenomena, 1964), p. 76. 4 Ibid, p. 82. 5 Toronto Star, January 1, 1979. 6
Toronto Globe and Mail, January 2, 1979. 7 'As It Happens. CBC-AM Radio Network,
Toronto, Ontario. January 3, 1979. 19:30 Eastern Standard Time. 8 The UFO
investigator, April 1979. National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena.
143 Goose Bay Air Force Base, Labrador Summer 1948 One of the earliest UFO
incidents to be reported over a radar installation served to demonstrate the
advanced maneuverability of these unusual craft. The 1948 sighting over Goose
Bay Air Force Base in Labrador also focused attention on the inability of the
Canadian and U.S. military hierarchies to explain the phenomenon. A detailed
account of the incident was given to NICAP in early 1961 by Major Edwin A.
Jerome, a retired United States Air Force Command pilot and one-time
intelligence officer.1 As the world’s largest non-profit UFO research
organisations, NICAP has over the years been involved in serious -
investigations under the direction of a board of prominent scientific and
academic advisors.2 At the time of the sighting, Major Jerome was stationed at
Goose Bay, which then was used as the servicing and refuelling outpost for all
military and civilian air traffic crossing the North Atlantic. He stated: "It
seems that a high-ranking inspection team was visiting the radar facilities of
this base... GCA (Ground Control Approach radar) was a critical part of this
picture, thus these high-ranking RCAF and USAF officers, up to the rank of
General, as I recall. While inspecting the USAF radar shack, the operator noted
a high-speed target on his scope, going from NE to SW. Upon computation of the
speed, it was found to be about 9,000 mph! This incident caused much
consternation in the shack, since obviously this was no time for levity or
miscalculations in the presence of an inspecting party. The poor airman
technician was brought to task for his apparent miscalculation. Again, the
target appeared and this time the inspectors were actually shown the apparition
on the radar screen. The only reaction to this was that obviously the American
equipment was way off calibration." 143 The party then proceeded to the Canadian
side to Inspect the RCAF GCA facility. Upon their arrival, the OIC (Officer in
Charge) related this most unbelievable target they had just seen. The inspecting
officers were appalled that such a coincidence should happen. I was part of the
meager reporting machinery at the base and I was called in to make an immediate
urgent intelligence report on the incident. The prevailing theory at the time
was that it was a meteor. I personally discounted this, since upon interviewing
the radar operators on both sides of the base they stated that it maintained an
altitude of 60,000 feet and a speed of approximately 9,000 mph. To make the
story more incredible, the very next day both radars again reported an object
hovering over the base at about 10 mph at 45,000 feet! The 'official' story on
this was that they were probably some type of "high flying seagulls". You must
remember that all these incidents happened before the days of fast high-flying
jets and missiles and the now common altitude record-breaking helicopters.3 1
Richard H. Hall, ed. The (UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National
Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1964), p. 83. 2 Ibid, p. ii. 3
Ibid, p. 83. Falconbridge Canadian Forces Radar Station, Sudbury, Ontario
November 11, 1975 One of the longest and most controversial UFO sightings, ever
recorded by radar personnel happened in the Sudbury area in northern Ontario.
The appearance of unidentified craft on November 11, 1975, prompted NORAD
officials to send military jet interceptors to investigate. Despite denials,
this move clearly exposed the government’s interest in exploring the phenomenon.
The Sudbury sightings coincided with an unprecedented week-long flurry of UFO
activity over key military installations in both Canada and the United States.’
First to spot the objects were two Sudbury Regional Police Constables, Bob
Whiteside and Alex Keable. At about 5:00 AM, while patrolling the streets of
western Sudbury they spotted four bright objects high up in the sky.2 Because of
145 the brilliance of the craft, no shape could be discerned, but the officers
agreed that the bizarre vessels, which produced no noticeable sound, were
definitely not conventional aircraft. One object, brighter than the others,
appeared in the southwest and seemed to be bobbing up and down like a ping-pong
ball; a second one in the northeast remained stationary, while two others
drifted aimlessly. In the western part of the city, meanwhile, Constable Gary
Chrapynski and Policewoman J.B. Deighton watched what were presumably the same
four objects. They saw light rays being emitted which seemed to illuminate the
clouds overhead. Viewed through binoculars, one of the objects looked long and
cylindrical, similar in shape to a dirigible. Other police officers stationed at
various locations in a thirty-mile radius around Sudbury also reported spotting
various types of pulsating, circular craft, noiselessly maneuvering in the early
morning sky. At 6:15 AM, four officers at the Canadian Forces Radar Station at
Falconbridge, ten miles north of Sudbury, similarly reported three unidentified
targets on their Height Finder Radar and Search screens.3 One appeared to be a
very bright stationary light at thirty thousand feet over the station, visible
for thirty seconds. Another, spherical in shape, appeared to be rotating, while
ascending and descending thirty miles south of the station. This object
apparently remained visible for over two hours, while maintaining elevations
ranging from forty to seventy thousand feet. The third object appeared to be:
circular, brilliantly lit, with two black spots in the centre, moving upwards at
high speeds from 42,000 to 72,000 feet. No circular movement, viewed for
fourteen minutes. Major 0. took pictures, but it is not sure whether they will
turn out.4 That same Tuesday, a report in the Sudbury Star confirmed that
photographs of the mysterious objects bad been taken. In Ottawa, National
Defence Headquarters confirmed that four people at the radar station, alerted by
the police, saw three bright circles with two black dots about 146 6:15 AM. The
objects were photographed by the base staff.5 Later that afternoon, Star
reporters were advised by the public information office at Defence Headquarters
in Ottawa that the photos would soon be released to the press. This was
corroborated by Falconbridge radar station personnel, who indicated that the
developed prints would be available the following (Wednesday) morning. When
contacted the next morning, the station’s commanding officer, Major Oliver, made
the following surprise announcement: There have been no photographs taken, nor
any messages sent to Ottawa that mentioned photographs! He said he had
investigated and had found "no one bad grabbed a camera."6 This sudden reversal
was in direct conflict with statements issued earlier by Defence Headquarters.
What’s more, the Ottawa statements confirming the existence of the photos were
based primarily on the Telex report sent from Falconbridge to Defence
Headquarters, which specifically stated: "Major 0. took pictures, but it is not
sure whether they will turn out."7 Even more bizarre is the mystery of why, for
a period of over twenty-four hours, Defence Headquarters and the National
Research Council as well as Sudbury Star reporters were led to believe that the
(non-existent) photos would be released - to the public! Was this an
intra-departmental communications breakdown, or a last-minute coverup? We may
never know the reasons for the apparent secrecy, but there seems to be no doubt
that UFOs were indeed present over Sudbury that morning. In fact, the objects
were still in the neighbourhood six hours later, when NORAD officials decided to
send up jet interceptors. The Sudbury Star reported that: "the fighters were
scrambled from the U.S. Air Force base at Selfridge, Michigan, at 12:50 PM local
time."8 This was eventually confirmed by Captain Rudy Miller, public relations
officer at the 22nd Division of NORAD in North Bay, who stated that the two
F-106 interceptors of the United States Air National Guard Squadron "reported to
have a lock on the object. The only thing the pilots reported 147 encountering
were sun reflections on ice crystals in the clouds. "9 It cannot be disputed
that the pilots may indeed have observed sun reflections off cirrus clouds. What
remains questionable is whether these reflections could account for the many
reported sightings. The NORAD explanation clearly overlooked the fact that
seemingly geometrical maneuvers were observed both visually and on radar by a
variety of qualified witnesses. Perhaps the most original explanation came from
Dr. Ian Halliday, research officer at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics at
the National Research Council, who commented that in all probability what the
officers had seen was Venus or Jupiter. Venus rises around 3 AM high in the
southeast and is still bright and high in the sky after sunrise. Jupiter is also
bright and sets about 4:30 AM.10 As to the sightings registered on radar, Dr.
Halliday ventured: as near as we can tell, it is a coincidence. This sort of
thing is not uncommon on radar. They just happened to see one at the same
time,11 Meanwhile, area residents continued reporting sightings for the next few
days. More than three years later, the entire matter surfaced again with the
release of previously 'TOP SECRET' documents by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S.
Defence Department. The documents, released under provisions of the U.S. Freedom
of Information Act, following the successful court action by Citizens Against
UFO Secrecy (CAUS) of New York, indicate that the UFO presence over military
installations was far more widespread than initially reported. These disclosures
were confirmed by National Research Council (NRC) officials in Ottawa on January
19, 1979.12 According to Research Officer Dr. Bruce McIntosh of NRC’s Planetary
Sciences Section of the Herzberg Institute 148 of Astrophysics, Canadian jets
were scrambled to intercept UFOs on at least two occasions during the week-long
wave of sightings. It seems that on the night of November 6, six days prior to
the Sudbury occurrence, unidentified targets were also spotted on the radar
screens at the North Bay NORAD Command base, seventy miles east of Sudbury. As
in the Falconbridge case, the prolonged presence of the targets on the radar
screens prompted officials to send up Canadian interceptors later that morning.
Nothing was found, according to Dr. McIntosh.13 During the same period, Canadian
interceptors were again scrambled to intercept a UFO that was approaching the
Canadian border after it had hovered over the missile launch area at Loring Air
Force Base in Maine. The documents gave no indication whether or not the
Canadian plane spotted the UFO. The U.S. records also reveal exten.sive UFO
activity over other nuclear missile launch sites and bomber bases along the
Canadian border in Maine, Montana and Michigan. Once again, NRC downplayed the
North Bay sighting. One possible explanation proposed by Dr. McIntosh was that
the layers of high density ice crystals could reflect radar beams Onto aircraft
over the horizon, creating a false radar signal. He also suggested that Venus,
“sticking out like a sore thumb,”4 could have accounted for the sighting. 1
Toronto Star, January 20, 1979. 2 Sudbury Star, November 11, 1975. 3 Herzberg
Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research
Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, N75-147 (Ottawa). 4 Ibid. 5 Sudbury
Star, op. cit. 6 Sudbury Star, November 15, 1975. 7 Ibid. 8 Sudbury Star,
November 12, 1975. 9 UFO-Quebec, Vol. 1, No. 7, p. 12. 10 Sudbury Star, November
14, 1975. 11 Ibid. 12 Gratti, Art. 'Saucer-Eyed Spies' UFO Update, OMNI
Magazine, June 1979. Volume .1, No. 19. OMNI Publications International Ltd. New
York, p. 32. 13 Toronto Star, January 20, 1979. 14 Ibid., p. 2. Sioux Lookout
Canadian Forces Radar Station, Sioux Lookout, Ontario November 27, 28, 1968 In
late November 1968, the Sioux Lookout region of northwestern Ontario was plagued
with a rash of UFO sightings which prompted John Reid (L-Kenora-Rainy River) and
the former Federal-Provincial Relations minister, to raise the. issue of public
access to UFO information in the House of Commons. His interest in the matter
stemmed from disclosures that these sightings had occurred in the immediate
vicinity of the Sioux Lookout Radar Station on the Pinetree Line. Here are
excerpts from John Reid’s remarks as recorded in the House on December 12, 1968:
149 Shortly after my last visit to Sioux Lookout, I was told by telephone, and
in person, that there had been a large number of sightings there. An article
appeared in the town’s paper, the Daily Bulletin (November 29th),: which I
should like to quote to bear out my claim that there have been extensive
sightings in this area. For the last two evenings, several people in town have
sighted an unidentified flying object over Pelican Lake. Last night’s sighting
was observed by quite a few people outside Jim’s Coffee Bar on Front Street at
about 6 PM. The only information we could gather from the observers was that it
was "a big light in the sky, which kept changing colour". No idea as to its
shape or maneuverability was given. About two months ago, at least five people
saw a UFO. Four on a return trip from Dryden, Ontario spotted a green light in
the sky near the Turkey Trail, white another person in town saw the same
phenomenon about two hours earlier over Pelican Lake. Both descriptions tallied
on checking them out and the UFO was described as a flat circular object of
bright greenish hue, which appeared to be pulsating. It was travelling at
conventional speed for an airborne object and glided down behind the tree line
out of sight.l That brings me to the point of my question, Mr. Speaker. We do
have this very extensive facility at Sioux Lookout that is operated by the
Department of National Defence, Surely if anything was in the sky over that
period, records would be kept by this most efficient establishment... Therefore,
I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary whether he could release some of
this supposedly confidential information for the benefit of the Canadian public.
The Christmas holiday season is fast approaching, but I do not want to receive
the answer from the Parliamentary Secretary that it was Santa Claus trying out
his reindeer in anticipation of Christmas.2 In response, Defence Parliamentary
Secretary D.W. Groos confirmed that strange lights had been reported but bad not
been picked up by radar screens at Sioux Lookout. He failed to specify whether
the radar system was operating at the 150 time, or even whether the system was
designed to pick up low-flying or hovering objects. Instead he forecast that on
Christmas Eve:3 there probably will be some unidentified flying objects picked
up by that radar station... There is some evidence that these will eventually be
identified as a space vehicle propelled by eight unknown objects.3 1 Sioux
Lookout Daily Bulletin, November 29, 1968. 2 House of Commons Debates, December
12, 1968: (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer), p. 3900-3901. 3 House Of Commons Debates,
op. cit., p. 3901. Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line 1956 to 1967 Only a very
limited number of DEW Line sightings have ever managed to surface. In an
excellent appraisal of the UFO dilemma, in 'Science, the Public and the UFO'
(Bray Book Service, Ottawa, 1967), ufologist Arthur Bray, a former pilot and
retired Royal Canadian Navy Lieutenant-Commander, describes a particularly
detailed incident that occurred in the autumn of 1956 at an unspecified 'site'
on the DEW Line. At the time, the principal witness, Donald Oliver of Halifax,
was working with Maritime Central Airlines as an aircraft mechanic. It was in
the early hours of an October morning. Another mechanic, Donald MacDonald of
Prince Edward Island, and I were attending our aircraft and getting them ready
for flight in the morning. There were no flights scheduled that night and there
was not a thing in the sky, not even a weather balloon. The sky was clear. We
were just standing there talking when there was a loud report like a Cannon
going off and the sky seemed to light up in a really brilliant way. Then we saw
it. It was like a green ball flashing at high speed over the runway. It came
over the runway parallel like a plane on a fly past about 250 feet up. When it
reached the south end of the runway it veered sharply eastward’ and rose very
steeply, picking up speed. As it did so, it seemed to take on a fluorescent
colour, like a fiery ball. It was really moving. It all happened so quickly. In
a couple of seconds it had disappeared. I couldn’t say how big it was - it just
looked like a large ball. We reported it immediately to 151 the control tower
where we were met with laughter. But an hour or so later they sent for us and
said they had received reports from two other sites, of vapour trails from an
unidentified flying object flying constantly at very high velocity.1 The initial
account of this sighting appeared in the Halifax Mail-Star on April 15, 1959.
Curiously enough, two days earlier, most Canadian newspapers had featured a
front-page Canadian Press story describing a UFO sighting over Air Defence
Command Headquarters at St. Hubert, Quebec. (See Chapter 6, 'UFOs and Military
Installations'.) Whether this was a coincidence or not, one can only speculate,
but in view of the similarities between the two sightings, I am inclined to
believe that the St. Hubert disclosure prompted both Mr. Oliver and the Halifax
Mail-Star to publicise the DEW Line sighting. In 1964, the Washington-based UFO
research organisations, NICAP, revealed information regarding another DEW Line
sighting, this one in November 1950.2 According to NICAP, the UFO descended from
the maximum altitude range of the radarscope (DEW Line radar range is
classified), moved horizontally at about 575 mph over a distance of one hundred
miles, before ascending vertically. Unfortunately, this report from the Calgary
NICAP Subcommittee provides no description as to the, structural or aerodynamic
characteristics of the UFO. Finally, on August 24, 1967, officials stationed at
the Cape Perry DEW Line Site, on the shores of the Beaufort Sea, were baffled by
a large spherical object which drifted slowly overhead for some time. The object
was also spotted by witnesses aboard a light aircraft (Registration CF-OZS)
flying in the vicinity of the site. According to the Cape Perry report, the
craft was described as: Translucent, silver and round, about the size of a
baseball held at arm’s length. Looked like a large soap bubble. No trail, no
sound, 25° angle from surface directly west of Site, appears to be moving very
slowly 152 southward. Object not painting on DEW Surveillance Radar.3 The
'bubble' remained in the Cape Perry vicinity for over ten hours! The fact that
it had not registered on DEW Line radar eliminated several possible
explanations, including weather balloons or experimental craft of Soviet origin.
It is unlikely that the Soviets could produce a noiseless craft with a built-in
radar detection scrambler that could totally stump sophisticated NORAD
instruments. It is even more unlikely that the Soviets would conduct open
surveillance at low altitudes over a period of ten hours! 1 Arthur Bray,
Science, the Public and the UFO (Ottawa: Bray Book Service, 1967), p. 165. 2
Richard H. Hall, ed., The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National
Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1964), p. 80. 3 Herzberg Institute
of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research Council,
Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, N67-029, (Ottawa). 153 Chapter 11 Civilian Pilot
Sightings Most commercial air flights are uneventful. Occasionally some
turbulence might distract the passengers, but if we exclude the rare occurrences
of sky-jacking, mid-air births, high-altitude coronary arrests or even
mechanical malfunctions, air travel can be downright boring. If we are to
believe a growing number of eye-witness reports, however, the UFO factor can now
be added to the list of possible events that passengers might encounter while
travelling by air. In fact, civilian airline pilots may now hold the distinction
of being the most prolific UFO spotters on earth. There is growing evidence that
the majority of these pilots have, in the course of their flying careers, come
across intelligently controlled phenomena for which there is no explanation.
This comes as no surprise if we consider that; unlike most other professions,
air crews spend the best part of their working lives scrutinising celestial
conditions. Yet, as in other countries, only a limited number of Canadian
mid-air UFO encounters have reached public attention. Several factors have
contributed to the secrecy that surrounds such events. Commercial air travel is
a lucrative and highly competitive industry, and most airlines shy away from the
harmful publicity that might surround them if exaggerated tales of mid-air UFO
sightings were to come to light. Perhaps, however, a well-promoted UFO incident
might spark an unprecedented boom in airline ticket sales. After all, today’s
air traveller is an entertainment-hungry individual raised on Arthur C. Clarke,
Flash Gordon, Apollo missions, 'Star Trek', 'Star Wars', 'Close Encounters' and
'Battlestar 154 Galactica'. Besides, close to 60 per cent of western society
believe in the existence of UFOs.’ Most airline pilots would be hesitant about
publicising their UFO experiences, because they do not want to jeopardise their
advancement within the company. Predictably, most airlines are quick to
emphasise that their pilots have no explicit directives prohibiting disclosures
of such matters; in fact, they stress that pilots who encounter UFOs may submit
anonymous in-flight 'Incidents Reports'. Because such reports are for internal
use only and confidential in nature, however, it is at the airline’s discretion
whether or not they are released to the public. Another possible reason for the
silence surrounding UFO sightings stems from the fact that pilots are concerned
about maintaining professional integrity. They generally shy away from
controversy, especially in situations where their credibility and judgment may
come under public scrutiny. Air Canada pilot, Captain Norm B., formerly with the
Canadian Air Line Pilots Association, probably best expressed the view of most
members of his profession when he stated: "I think it’s a natural reluctance on
the part of the pilots not to release anything until it’s been thoroughly
investigated... the vast majority of pilots would be very hesitant to run to the
media until something bad really been investigated carefully."2 One notable
exception to this image of the cautious, tight-lipped professional is CP Air
Captain Robert Millbank. Following his UFO experience over the Peruvian coast in
December 1966, Millbank emerged as one of the most vocal witnesses in the annals
of ufology. Because of his willingness to speak openly about his encounter, the
incident quickly gained international notoriety. It occurred in the early
morning hours of December 30, while Millbank and his co-pilot, John Dahl, were
at the controls of a DC-8, en route from Lima, Peru, to Mexico City. It was
about 2 AM. and all the passengers were asleep. Suddenly, against the background
of the night sky, they noticed two steady white lights on their left. Puzzled,
Millbank summoned the other three crew members - the navigator, the 155 purser
and a pilot trainee. As they watched it soon became evident that the lights were
headed toward their aircraft. In the written report filed with aeronautical
authorities in Mexico City, Millbank described what happened next: "Then I
noticed that one of the lights was pulsating and changing in intensity. Then, we
noticed two beams of light coming from the lights and shining upward in a
V-shape. The two main lights seemed to be descending and they levelled off
alongside our aircraft. At one time, the object shot out a trail of sparks, like
a rocket. I tried to convince myself that this object was only another aircraft,
or a satellite re-entering the atmosphere, but it was pretty obvious that it was
neither of those. Then it seemed to be edging closer to us, and we could see a
string of lights between the two white lights. It levelled off at our left wing
tip and, in the light of the full moon, we could see a shape between the two
lights, a structure which appeared to be thicker in the middle. It stayed there
for a couple of minutes and then disappeared behind our aircraft."3 From the
growing number of reported incidents, it appears that there are two types of UFO
mid-air encounters - the random, distant fly-by and the close-range inspection.
The Random, Distant Fly-by The random, distant fly-by is the more common of the
two, and normally lasts a short time only. Usually, peculiar-looking luminous
craft are seen flying by at night, a fair distance away from the observer. Some
of their maneuvers include 'on-the-spot' hovering, jerky, wave-like trajectories
and bullet-like accelerations. On the surface it does not appear as if any
surveillance by these UFOs was taking place, yet we cannot exclude the
possibility that they may be engaged in some form of sophisticated remote
inspection. The Close-Range Inspection The close-range inspection is less
frequent. These sightings consist of a rendezvous in which a disk- or
cigar-shaped craft will take up a fixed position alongside an aircraft and
remain there, sometimes for 156 hundreds of miles. The majority of these
encounters do not appear to pose a threat to the safety of the aircraft
occupants, but in some cases pilots have been forced to take drastic evasive
actions to avoid collisions with UFOs which displayed highly dangerous
maneuvers. 1 Toronto Star, October 23, 1973. 2 Telephone conversation with
Captain B., December 13, 1977. 3 Frank Edwards, 'Flying Saucers; Here and Now!'
(New York: Bantam Books, 1968), p. 114. One Hundred Miles Northeast of
Sept-Iles, Quebec June 29, 1954 One of the earliest close-range inspections ever
recorded left twenty witnesses, including seven crew members, aboard a BOAC
Stratocruiser completely mesmerised. The event occurred on June 29, 1954, about
a hundred miles northeast of Sept-Iles, Quebec, four hours after the plane had
left New York en route to London. After landing in England, the pilot, Captain
James Howard, revealed details of the sighting to London’s Sunday Chronicle: "I
bad taken off from Idlewood airfield in New York at five o’clock and was headed
northeast across the St. Lawrence River. It was about 9:05 PM Labrador time and
we were about twenty minutes’ flying time northeast of Sept-Iles, when I first
sighted the thing."1 The 'thing' appeared as a "dark blob” in the distance, with
a cluster of smaller objects around it: "It was something like an inverted pear
suspended in the sky.2" As the stunned pilot watched, the cluster of circular
craft dodged about the central craft, all the while maintaining a straight-line
formation around the 'mother craft'. "Sometimes there were three stretched out
in front and three behind. Sometimes five stretched out in line ahead and only
one behind."3 During the entire eighteen-minute sighting, the objects main- 157
tained a course parallel to the plane at a distance estimated at about five
miles away. Co-pilot Lee Boyd of Fillmore, Saskatchewan, was convinced the
strange formation was not of earthly origin: "Whatever they were, they were
intelligently controlled and maneuvered. I don’t think any science on this
planet could have produced them."4 As a veteran pilot who had flown more than a
half a million miles, Boyd’s statements could not be taken lightly, especially
since the other five crew members, who had also observed the spectacle,
supported his remarks. To rule out the possibility of experimental aircraft,
Captain Howard had radioed Goose Bay Air Force Base to confirm that no other air
traffic had been registered in the area. At Howard’s request, Goose Bay agreed
to sent up a jet fighter to investigate. Meanwhile, the crew was witnessing a
startling turn of events: the 'mother craft' was changing shape! "It turned into
what looked like a flying arrow - an enormous delta-winged plane turning in to
close with us!"5 It seemed to grow in size as if it were coming closer to the
plane, and then it changed shape again, this time becoming flattened and
elongated. Finally, the large craft shrank to its original size while the
smaller 'satellites' continued their curious 'leap-frog' maneuvering. Within
minutes, the fighter plane pilot radioed that he was twenty miles away from the
craft at a higher altitude. The captain confirmed that the strange formation was
still keeping pace with his plane. All of a sudden, the smaller craft stopped
their acrobatics and appeared to merge with the 'mother craft'. Then, with a
tremendous burst of speed, the large craft shot away and, within seconds,
completely disappeared! The swift departure left observers wondering whether the
presence of the jet fighter had been detected, If so, the UFO occupants, if
there were any, must have chosen to avoid an undesirable mid-air confrontation.
After landing at Goose Bay, the entire crew of the BOAC Stratocruiser was
questioned by U.S. Air Force Intelligence. In conclusion, Captain Howard stated:
158 "It was a solid thing. I’m sure of that. Maneuverable and controlled
intelligently—a sort of base ship linked somehow with those smaller attendant
satellites. . . . It must have been some weird form of spaceship from another
world!6 This sighting soon became a classic. Fascinated by the curious incident,
the late Dr. James E. McDonald, a physicist at the University of Arizona,
decided to conduct his own detailed investigation. At the astronautics
conference of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, held in Montreal in
March 1968, Dr. McDonald revealed some of his findings in a public address: "No
meteorological-optical phenomenon (assuredly not a sundog) could reasonably
account for the reported phenomena. The Stratocruiser was cruising at about 240
knots (276 mph) at 19,000 feet on the southwest edge of a high-pressure centre
over Labrador, scarcely meteorological conditions favourable to ball lightning
or any other electrical disturbances; and visibility was described by Captain
Howard as 'perfect'. To suggest a natural 'plasmoid' of any sort could keep pace
with an aircraft at 240 knots for eighteen minutes and ninety miles seems
entirely unreasonable on a number of grounds: the speed and motions
categorically rule out meteors; the peculiar maneuvering of the smaller objects
and curious shape changes of the larger object suggest no conventional
explanation. It was First Officer Lee Boyd’s impression that the smaller ones
merged into the larger prior to departure, again defying obvious explanation. At
that time, Howard had 7,000 flying hours; he is still flying with BOAC. In a
recent interview, be corroborated details of the 1954 press accounts and even
added interesting additional points. The distance of the objects precluded
seeing any structural details, if any had been present; it is the performance
characteristics and the pronounced shape-changes that mark this
well-authenticated sighting as a puzzling UFO case for which no adequate
explanation has ever been proposed." 1 Richard H. Hall The UFO Evidence
(Washington, D.C.: National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1964),
p. 126. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Toronto Globe and Mail, July 2, 1954. 5 Richard H.
Hall. op. cit., p. 126. 6 Ibid. 159 One Hundred and Sixty Nautical Miles
Northeast of Churchill, Manitoba October 23, 1972 On October 23, 1972, the crew
and passengers aboard a Wardair jet came face to face with an awesome
cigar-shaped craft at twenty-two thousand feet. The jet was en route from
Churchill, Manitoba, to Yellowknife, seven hundred miles to the northwest.1
Forty-year-old Captain Darryl Brown was piloting the Grumman CF-COL jet, which
took off from Churchill at 5:50 PM. Forty minutes into the flight, as the sun
was setting on the northern tundra, the pilot noticed what first appeared to him
as a bright comet approaching from the west. He quickly abandoned this theory,
however, as the object came closer, revealing a bullet-like profile adorned with
a cluster of multicoloured pulsating lights. As this 'flying cigar' began to
crowd the plane, the crew was overwhelmed by its dimensions. It appeared to be
much larger than any man-made craft, including a Boeing 747. Perhaps out of the
need to share this moving experience with others, Captain B. notified the
fifteen passengers aboard and shut off the interior lights to enhance the
viewing of the vessel which was by now dwarfing the jet. About a dozen circular
'portholes' or 'windows' strung along the base of the craft were now discernible
while a series of yellow and red lights flashed on and off overhead. The rear of
the UFO was enveloped in a fog-like cloud, behind which orange sparks were seen
shooting out. The craft took up a position about 2,500 feet in front of the jet
and in perfect alignment with its flight path. Suddenly, the aircraft was bathed
in a beam of light, coming from what was presumably the front end of the
'cigar'. It was so bright that it was possible to read inside the previously
darkened cockpit. Suddenly, as the three-man crew watched in horror, the giant
craft stopped in mid-air directly in front of the jet! Before Captain Brown
could take evasive action, the 'cigar' quickly moved over to the right. That was
when the pilot 160 courageously decided to follow the fast-disappearing craft.
Unfortunately, it was quickly obscured by a dense layer of fog which seemed to
have appeared from nowhere. The UFO had vanished and any renewed attempts at
tracking it down failed. Because existing meteorological conditions were not
conducive to the formation of such fog layers at that altitude, we cannot rule
out the possibility that the fog layer may have been a smoke screen produced by
the UFO as an escape device. The fact that the substance enveloped the rear of
the craft tends to add weight to the escape device theory. During the sighting,
the crew noted that the radio had gone dead. After the mysterious craft
departed, radio transmission returned to normal. (See Chapter 8. 'The E.M.
Effect and Power Blackouts'.) Following the incident, Captain B. stated: "My
personal opinion is that the craft was extraterrestrial. Why would the object
approach at close quarters to inspect us? I can’t speculate for what reasons,
except possibly due to curiosity on their part."2 1 UFO-Quebec, Premier
Trimestre, Numéro 9 (1917) p. 13. 2 Ibid. Sudbury, Ontario and Eastern Townships
July 12-15, 1974 Another recent close-range inspection, this time over Sudbury,
Ontario, almost ended in a mid-air collision between a Canadian Pacific Airlines
jet and an enormous cigar-shaped UFO. The sudden appearance of the silvery craft
forced the pilot of CP Air Flight 52 to dive evasively to avoid a crash. The
event occurred around 9 AM on July 15, 1974, while the jet was en route from
Montreal to Vancouver. One of the passengers, Mr. R.F. (identity known to
investigators of UFO-Quebec), later disclosed that immediately following the
near-accident, the captain told the passengers: "Sorry about that. We had to
take action because there was an unidentified flying object ahead. You can see
it if you look out to the right side of the aircraft, to the north.1 161 The
passengers watched in amazement as the large object appearing slightly
transparent, continued to pace the jet for another five minutes before
disappearing. "It wasn’t there anymore", said passenger R.F. He continued: "The
Captain said he had been in contact with Ground Control but they knew nothing
about it. It had not been on their radar screen at all. He said it might have
been a balloon but he did not know. There was just no record of anything like
this very big object on our course."2 In the ensuing investigation, Wido Hoville
of UFO-Quebec discovered that numerous Sudbury area residents had called the
Sudbury Airport Weather Office to report seeing the craft. Asked what he thought
the object was, the weatherman suggested it might have been a Defence Department
altitude balloon launched in Manitoba. But a check with the Defence Department
and with meteorological records for that date eliminated the possibility that
the balloon could have been in the Sudbury area at the time. The balloon theory
was also dismissed by a flight debriefing officer at Montreal’s Dorval Airport,
on the grounds that the pilot would have been notified by either the Defence
Department or the Transport Department weather office. Also, according to
Hoville, the balloon would have registered on the aircraft radar screens. The
mysterious craft did not.3 This incident coincided with a rash of other
sightings. in both Ontario and Quebec. Sixteen hours earlier, campers near
Daveluyvile, Quebec, south of Quebec City, saw a large triangular craft,
described as "brilliant" and "silvery", hovering over their campsite.4 The
object appeared to be rotating on its own axis, while maintaining a fixed
position at an altitude of about four thousand feet. After about three hours of
noiseless maneuvers, the craft finally drifted away to the southeast. Asked
about its size, campsite owner Roger Côté, a medical technician, compared it
with a fifty-cent piece held at arm’s length.5 At roughly four thousand feet,
this would indicate that the object was well over two hundred feet in diameter.
When police officials later 'identified' it as a weather balloon, Mr. Côté
flatly rejected this explanation. 162 About an hour later, the pilot of a
Scandinavian jet, Captain K., was flying over Charlevoix, on the eastern
outskirts of Quebec City, when he spotted what was presumably the same craft
moving in a southwesterly direction.6 It appeared to be travelling toward
Montreal, along the St. Lawrence River. This sighting, which occurred near
Valcartier Mobile Command Base, was relayed to military authorities at the NORAD
Air Command Centre at North Bay Air Force Base. A report of this and several
subsequent sightings were in turn filed with the National Research Council. In
the same report we learn that Commander W.C.B., flying a military jet to
Burlington, Vermont, from Quebec City, also spotted the same craft. He described
it as "triangular in shape, stationary and estimated to be at forty thousand
feet."7 His aircraft, was flying at thirty-five thousand feet, thirty to forty
miles southeast of Quebec City. During both sightings, the radio transmission
and reception sites at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville and Canadian Forces
Station Mont Apica experienced strong interference. CFB Bagotville is one
hundred miles north of the capitol. There is no direct evidence linking the
presence of the UFO to the radio interference, but it is significant that the
difficulties occurred while the military jet was in close proximity to the
mysterious triangle. Equally significant is the fact that the interference
registered on a frequency of 121.5 megacycles—the universal distress frequency.
The most controversial piece of evidence came from Drummondville photographer
Jean Roy who had shot six photos of the giant craft.8 They clearly show the
movements of a luminous bell-shaped object. However, it is not known what type
of camera was used or whether the negatives were subjected to authentication
procedures. Equally nebulous is the source of a rumour that the object had been
a high altitude weather balloon. Radio stations reporting this explanation
attributed these statements to officials of La Sûreté du Quebec (SQ), the Quebec
provincial police force,9 which vehemently denied the charges. 163 To round out
this UFO marathon, a disk-shaped UFO had also been observed by military and
airport officials over Sudbury. Two days earlier, Private W.V. and Corporal
A.L., of Canadian Forces Falconbridge Radar Station, saw a multicoloured oval
disk moving southeast of the station.10 This same craft was also tracked by
Ministry of Transport radar screens at the Sudbury Airport weather office.11 At
the same time, ‘Mrs. K.K. of Sudbury also confirmed sighting the oval disk,
which she described as "orange under, blue on top, and a ,white stripe with a
blue cross on it."12 She claims to have filmed the UFO with her movie camera! 1
Canadian UFO Report, Vol. 3, No. 4 (1975) p. 7. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 UFO-Quebec,
Vol 1, No. 2 (May-June-July 1975) p. 12. 5 Ibid. 6 Herzberg Institute of
Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research Council,
Non-Meteoritic Sightings File N74-052, (Ottawa). 7 Ibid. 8 La Parole de
Drummondville, Vol. 49, No. 31 (July 31, 1974) p. 1. 9 Ibid., p. 1. 10
Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, op. cit., N74-050. 11 Ibid., N74-051. 12 Ibid.,
N74-049. Windsor - Southern Ontario December 12, 1957 Sightings by commercial
and private pilots are often observed simultaneously by ground witnesses. One
such incident occurred in southwestern Ontario, east of Windsor, on the evening
of December 1957. Hundreds of witnesses, including Essex and Kent County police
and an airline pilot, were mystified by the circular object that streaked across
Lake Erie in the direction of Windsor. It was believed to be the same as the one
sighted over Cleveland moments earlier. One of the first to spot it was Captain
J.A. Miller, who was pilo.ting Trans-Canada Airlines (now Air Canada) Flight 239
from Toronto to Windsor. In a front-page story in the Windsor Star the following
day, Captain Miller described the saucer as: an oval, whirling, orange flaming
disk, flying at about two thousand feet and moving at a terrific rate of speed.1
It apparently stayed alongside his plane for several minutes before swinging
toward Lake Erie, where it disappeared "in a cloud of orange smoke." The pilot
thought that the craft had dropped toward the plane with what be called "planned
accuracy", from a higher altitude. Although the incident was 164 brief, there is
no doubt that the craft bad been attracted to the plane for a specific purpose.
In an apparent move to downplay the event, TCA officials reported that none of
the forty passengers aboard the aircraft had mentioned seeing the saucer.
However, it was not specified whether any of them had ever been questioned.
Miller’s story received support from many credible witnesses. For over half an
hour, police radios had crackled with accounts, including those by police
officers who excitedly reported spotting the UFO. The same Star article stated
that: "Provincial police in Chatham and Ridgetown were insistent that this was
the real thing. Police also reported that motorists along county highways
stopped to observe the strange and fascinating gyrations of the oval object."2
When Ontario Provincial Police Constables Ted Wickens and John McPherson were
dispatched to Blenheim, where Mrs. Robert Moore reported watching the saucer
overhead, both confirmed seeing the craft. One of the officers later commented:
"We can’t say too much, but there have been enough responsible persons sighting
the saucer and we figure this time it’s for real."3 1 Windsor Star, December 13,
1957. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 165 Chapter 12 Government and UFOs Governments around the
world have been hard-pressed to deal with the post-World War II phenomenon of
UFOs. Canada is no exception. But this country can at least boast of having
initiated progressive UFO research policies and over the last thirty years, it
has demonstrated varying degrees of interest in this multifaceted phenomenon. No
less than five different departments - the Departments of National Defence and
Transport, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the National Research Council and
Agriculture Canada - have at one time or another attempted to grapple with it.
The highlights of these efforts can best be summarised in the following three
statements. First, after years of predominantly secretive research into UFOs,
the Canadian government, as other world governments, has never found a shred of
evidence to conclusively disprove their existence.. On the contrary, with the
official conclusion the UFOs do not pose a threat to national security, and that
they warrant further scientific scrutiny, military and scientific researchers
have recognised the reality of the phenomena.' Second, the evolution of Canadian
UFO policies appears to be closely linked to and seemingly influenced by the
prevailing American trends to respond to the UFO presence.2 166 Third, the
Canadian government has done little to dispel speculation that the Department of
National Defence is to this day collaborating secretly with its U.S. counterpart
in studying UFO-related phenomena. 1 Chief of Defence (CDS) Briefing on
Unidentified Flying Objects, November 15, 1967. P. 3. Directorate of Operations,
Department of National Defence. From the Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, DND 222.
Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National
Research Council. (Ottawa). 2 Leonard H. Stringfield, Situation Red: The UFO
Siegel (New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977), p. 160. Department of
National Defence Defence Research Board On Thursday, April 17, 1952, Canadians
were stunned by the front-page Ottawa Journal revelation that the Department of
National Defence (DND) had been investigating UFOs from as early as 1947. The
majority of sightings left top military and scientific officials, as they
frankly admitted, totally "baffled".l This disclosure came in the wake of the
furour and consternation caused by the reappearance five days earlier of UFOs
over North Bay Air Force Base in Ontario. (See Chapter 6, 'UFOs and Military
Installations'.) The explosive headline story also shed light on the origins of
reported sightings in Canada: "The first report of a flying saucer over Canada
was one given by an Ottawa resident on June 26, 1947."2 This date marked the
birth of what has become known as the 'modern era' of the UFO presence in
Canada. It was then that a series of military investigations into the celestial
mystery was launched. Ironically, this Canadian UFO 'premiere' came only two
days after the widely publicized UFO encounter by Idaho commercial pilot,
Kenneth Arnold, who was credited with having coined the phrase "flying
saucers".3 Arnold's historic airborne encounter with nine disk-like craft is
generally regarded as the cornerstone of the modern UFO era in America. Since
1947, Canadian military response to the persistent UFO presence can best be
described as a mish-mash of reactionary attitudes and crisis-oriented policies
that have varied from genuine interest and openness to disinterest and blatant
secrecy. In retrospect, the twenty-one years of official military scrutiny can
be broken down into the following distinct periods. 167 June 1947 - April 1952
Very little is known about the embryonic stage of military interest in UFOs. The
only known disclosures pertaining to the period from 1947 to April 1952 are
contained in the above-mentioned Ottawa Journal expos& The article stated
that, since June 1947, the Intelligence Branch of the Royal Canadian Air Force
has collaborated with the scientific research arm of the army, the Defence
Research Board (DRB), in assessing the growing number of reported UFO
encounters.4 By early 1952, over thirty well documented cases had been subjected
to rigourous analysis. Aside from a few which could easily be explained as
misidentified natural phenomena, most of them left the experts completely
mystified. April 1952 - 1956 Following the furour over the North Bay
revelations, DRB Chairman Dr. O.M. Solandt urgently convened an
interdepartmental committee ten days later to outline strategies aimed at
tackling the enigma. Aside from representatives from DRB and the Defence
Services (army, navy and air force), the committee also included such notable
figures as astrophysicist Dr. Peter M. Millman and Wilbert B. Smith who headed
the UFO study sponsored by the Department of Transport, known as Project
Magnet.5 Named Project Second Storey (PSS), the committee acted as the
coordinating and advisory body for those government departments which were
directly or remotely involved in UFO investigations.6 Under the chairmanship of
Dr. Millman, PSS drew up a comprehensive questionnaire which was distributed to
personnel of both the Defence Services and the Department of Transport. In this
way, PSS members were fed a steady flow of fresh nationwide UFO reports. But in
the eleven months that followed, the committee made no significant progress in
unravelling the UFO mystery. Therefore, instead of intensifying research
efforts, PSS began to phase out its activities and by March 9, 1953, it had
reached the questionable conclusion that: "evidence to date did not seem to
warrant an all-out investigation by the Canadian Services... For the present at
least, it was considered unnecessary for this 168 Committee or any other section
of DND to undertake a detailed analysis of the reports received to date.7
Although PSS continued to exist in name only until 1957, its meetings became
less frequent and to all intents and purposes the government seemed to have
washed its hands of the thorny UFO problem.8 Rather than release the PSS
findings, military strategists adopted a policy of secrecy, parallelling the
trend initiated two months earlier by the American military establishment in
response to recommendations by the Robertson Panel of Scientific Consultants.
This CIA-sponsored panel consisted of five hand-picked scientists who concluded
that UFOs posed no "direct physical threat to national security", recommending
that they be "stripped" of their "special status" and the "aura of mystery" they
may have acquired.9 Subsequent leaks to the public about military pursuits of
UFOs, including several tragic mishaps, threatened to put the Robertson Panel
findings into serious jeopardy. In an effort to contain further leaks, the U.S.
Air Force quickly moved to tighten security on all UFO-related activities.10
Information about attempts by the Royal Canadian Air Force to capture UFOs was
also kept from the general public, as was the establishment of the UFO landing
site at DRB Suffield Experimental Station. (See Chapter 7, 'Military Pilot
Sightings'.) To this day, it is unclear what factors precipitated the secrecy.
Some of the more plausible reasons might be the reliance on blueprinting U.S.
policies, the fear of causing mass panic, the Canadian government's inability to
effectively explain the phenomenon to the public or the suspicion that UFOs
might be enemy craft, possibly of Soviet origin. While all these factors could
have contributed to the secrecy scenario at one time or another, I am inclined
to believe that the military establishment was primarily afraid to be placed in
the position of explaining a phenomenon that defied explanation. Because of this
emphasis on secrecy, much of the UFO activities by the military between 1952 and
1966 have remained 169 obscured under security classifications. It was not until
July 1967, during a major nationwide UFO wave, that the veil of secrecy was
partially lifted. Confronted with demands for government action, Defence
Minister Paul Hellyer set out to reassure the public that the DND was looking
into the matter. At the same time, he made the surprise revelation about the
existence of the DRB landing site.11 Nine months later, in March 1968, the
transfer of UFO investigative responsibility to the National Research Council
brought about a further release of UFO files, Even though the documents focused
primarily on DND findings between August 1965 and 1968, they did contain certain
information about the pre-1965 era. One of the documents - an internal brief to
the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) from the Directorate of Operations (DOPS) -
brought to light the extent of U.S. influence on Canadian military attitudes
toward UFOs. According to the brief dated November 15, 1967, a Canadian
scientific committee (unspecified, although presumably Project Second Storey)
again concluded the UFOs posed no threat to national security, thereby echoing
the findings of the U.S. Robertson Panel.12 The 1968 declassifications also
revealed that some of the less sensitive military activities of the 1950s, which
included the Project Second Storey findings, were given the less restrictive
'CONFIDENTIAL' security classification.13 It was not until February 16, 1978,
that DND's Directorate of History took the bold step of declassifying these
documents. While some may conclude that the government's proposed 'freedom of
information'14 policy was instrumental in having these documents released, it is
my belief that government officials recognised they could no longer maintain a
contradictory position on the UFO question. It would be absurd to withhold
UFO-related files on the basis of national security, while at the same time
officially proclaiming they did not threaten national security. 170 Predictably,
the documents that covered the period between July 3, 1947 and March 8, 1961
proved to be of little value. For one thing, the files have been 'sanitised',
meaning the names and addresses of UFO witnesses and investigating authorities
have been deleted. For another, documents on UFO sightings sent to DND through
RCMP channels were withheld at the request of the RCMP.15 Furthermore, records
of numerous major sightings were missing, while those that had been released
were, at best, fragmentary. Among the cases omitted was the first incident ever
to be investigated by government officials: the June 26, 1947, sighting over
Ottawa. Also visibly absent were the recurring UFO incidents over Goose Bay
(Labrador) Air Force Base between 1948 and 1952. (See Chapters 7 and 10,
'Military Pilot Sightings' and 'UFOs and Radar Sites') In addition, documents
covering the three and a half years between December 1954 and June 1958 are
missing.16 Are we to conclude that there were no UFO sightings during that
period? On the contrary. The crucial and most revealing interdepartmental
correspondence between top-ranking military strategists involved in
orchestrating UFO policies could not be located either. Furthermore, the files
contained no references to RCAF attempts to down a UFO or the ensuing DRB
landing site. To close out this period of 'transition', we learn from the
November 15 CDS brief that: "at one time, UFO reports were forwarded to Air
Defence Command (ADC) for investigation."17 While no dates are given, it is
believed the period covered is 1953 to 1957. In 1961, the 1953 date was
confirmed by Defence Minister Douglas S. Harkness when he wrote to a NICAP
member: "As of 1953, the Air Office Commanding Air Defence Command is charged.
with the military investigation of Unidentified Flying Object reports.
Information compiled by the RCAF pertaining to this matter (UFOs) is not
available to the public."18 171 1956 - Early 1960s. The period from 1956 to the
early 1960s marked the intensification of the Cold War and the subsequent
emergence of NORAD. With sophisticated radar outposts monitoring the perimeter
of the North American continent for hostile, suspicious or unidentifiable
airborne craft, UFO reports naturally became subject to even greater secrecy.
But the bubble burst on April 12, 1959, when a red disc-like UFO was spotted
over Air Defence Command Headquarters at St. Hubert Air Force Base, east of
Montreal! The sighting was subsequently confirmed by military authorities. (See
Chapter 6, 'UFOs and Military Installations'.) These embarrassing leaks led to
further tightening of security measures in an effort to eliminate any further
unauthorised disclosures. Soon after, RCAF Group Captain L.C. Dilworth, a
spokesman for the Chief of Air Staff, wrote to a NICAP member: The RCAF has
recently implemented the JANAP 146(D) procedure for the reporting of vital
intelligence sightings. (UFOs included)... Needless to say, the RCAF, in concert
with American Forces, is interested in all such reports, and evaluation is done
on a systematic basis. While the outcome of individual evaluations is not made
public, you may rest assured that any threat to the security of Canada or the
United States will be reflected in appropriate military plans.19 Under the JANAP
146(D) provisions, any person (military or civilian) reporting a UFO sighting
through official channels is subject to prosecution under the Canada Official]
Secrets Act of 1939 if convicted of unauthorised transmission or disclosure of
such a sighting.20 As a deterrent, JANAP 146(D) and its successor, JANAP 146(E)
(amended it March 1966), were effective in preventing additional UFO leaks. By
the early 1960s, Air Defence Command opted out of the UFO business, and Canadian
Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) in Ottawa took over the responsibility to investigate
172 sightings. Officially, the "no threat to security" was once more dragged out
as the reason behind the transfer.21 Early 1960s to March 1966. This era of
military UFO research from the early 1960s to March 1966 was characterised by
stepped-up attempts at defusing the entire UFO controversy. Not only was secrecy
further entrenched, but government officials went so far as to state that all
UFO sightings could be easily explained. On July 22, 1963, in the House of
Commons, in response to questions from Liberal Member of Parliament Leonard
'Red' Kelly about Canada's current UFO research activities, the government
spokesman replied: While it is not the policy of the department (of National
Defence) to deny the public information about Unidentified Flying Objects, such
reports are not produced in published form. Investigations to date have
classified the sightings as either man-made objects, of which we are aware, or
as natural phenomena, well known in scientific circles, but unfamiliar to the
general public.22 These statements were in direct contradiction to the November
1967 brief addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff which indicated that: At that
time, the Director of Intelligence co-ordinated DND action on UFO reports.
Correspondence held on CFHQ UFO files also indicated that Dr. J.C. ArnelI, who
was at that time the Scientific Deputy Chief of Technical Services, was an
active and interested participant in dealing with UFO matters.23 Clearly, the
DND was interested in studying manifestations of UFOs and not natural
identifiable celestial objects. To this day, their findings have not been
released. The CFHQ participation in solving the UFO mystery came to an abrupt
end in March 1966 when, for reasons unknown, another transfer of responsibility
took place, this time to the Directorate of Operations (DOPS). March 1966 -
March 1968. The phase of military UFO research between March 1966 and March 1968
coincided 173 with Canada's most intensive period of UFO activity up to that
point. It also marked the beginning of more intensive attempts by the military
to solve the UFO riddle. The transfer to DOPS had barely been consummated when
Southern Ontario was struck by extensive UFO activity. During a week-long
flurry, which appeared to have spilled over from Michigan, scores of
unidentified craft of every conceivable shape and colour were observed by
hundreds of onlookers from Windsor to Toronto. Witnessing these sightings were
such diverse observers as Metropolitan Toronto police officers and air traffic
controllers, as well as Canadian Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Chuvalo.24
Accompanied by his wife and cousin, Chuvalo watched a saucer-shaped craft for
over four hours on the evening of March 29, 1966. He declared: "It was a
blinking light, mainly red and blue, but it didn't move at all."25 Chuvalo's
sighting came only twenty-four hours after he had been defeated by Muhammed Ali
in the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
But the most dramatic UFO incident involved Charles Cozens of Hamilton, Ontario,
who claimed to have touched the antenna of a landed craft. (See Chapter 3,
'Physical Reactions to Sightings.') This prolonged UFO presence, which had ben
recorded earlier in the United States, led former President Gerald Ford, then
House Republican Leader, to request a Congressional inquiry into UFOs. Soon
after, the U.S. Air Force set up the controversial Condon Committee at the
University of Colorado. Evidently influenced by these developments, the DND
introduced, in October 1966, a special reporting procedure known as CFAO 71-6
(Canadian Forces Administration Order),26 which was aimed at streamlining the
transmission of UFO reports from Canadian Forces Bases to Defence Headquarters.
These reports were received from a variety of sources, including law enforcement
agencies, military and commercial pilots and the public at large. The directive
applied only to UFO reports deemed to be of an 'UNCLASSIFIED' nature, that is,
the less sensitive sightings. Apparently, the 172 'juicy' ones, those of
military interest, were protected from public exposure through the sanctions of
the JANAP directives. During this two-year DOPS tenure, incoming UFO reports
were first divided into two general categories: fireball-meteorites and
non-fireball meteorites (UFOs). To differentiate between common celestial debris
and genuine unidentified craft, the Defence Director of Scientific Coordination
(DSC) was routinely called in to assist DOPS staff in conducting the initial
breakdown.27 Reports dealing with fireball-meteorites were forwarded to the
National Research Council Meteorite Centre for evaluation, while the UFO cases
were broken down into three further categories. Reports containing information
that warranted further investigation were given a Class A designation, while
those of lesser importance or of little predictable value were designated Class
B and C respectively,28 Because of the fragmentary nature of the majority of
these reports, few sightings merited Class A status. Out of 193 received in the
ten and a half months, between January 1 and November 15, 1967, only nine met
Class A requirements. Out of these nine, six were judged to contain evidence
confirming the presence of a craft of inexplicable origin, while the remaining
three could not be dismissed as natural identifiable phenomena.29 Collectively,
these nine cases represented some of the most convincing sightings recorded
anywhere, including the July 1967 Warren Smith photos (Chapter 1, 'The
Photographic Evidence',); the Shoal Lake tree-top damage (Chapter 2, 'UFO
Landings and Physical Traces'); and the Falcon Lake UFO landing (Chapter 3,
'Physical Reactions to Sightings'.) As the number of serious, newsworthy UFO
incidents increased in late 1967, so did the public demand for military
accountability. Combined with parliamentary questioning, this led the military
establishment to look for alternate ways of coping with the enigma.30 Unable on
the one hand to disprove the existence of UFOs, but unwilling to go so far as to
officially admit their existence, Canadian military authorities again took a
page out 175 of the American UFO experience. Inspired by the Condon Committee,
DND officials decided to refer the entire UFO hot potato to a recognised
scientific agency - this time, the National Research Council. In a news release
dated January 8, 1968, NRC announced that its Space Research Facilities Branch
would soon be: "acting as a clearing house to determine whether there was any
scientific reason which would warrant further investigation of UFO reports."3'
One reason cited for the transfer was the 'detrimental' and 'disruptive' effect
on DND personnel created by the increased workload of UFO investigations.82 In
my opinion the transfer was simply a buck-passing exercise to avoid further
embarrassment to a government already perplexed by its inability to come to
grips with the phenomena. Since the implementation of the transfer in March
1968, the DND has fervently reiterated that it no longer conducts UFO-related
research, and that this responsibility now rests solely with the NRC. To this
day, any sightings referred to DND are automatically channelled via Telex to the
Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in the Planetary Sciences Section of the
NRC.33 On the other hand, there seems to be increasing evidence that the
military has not altogether abandoned its interest in UFOs. As revealed in the
NRC Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, the DND periodically transmits information on
certain sensitive UFO occurrences, via Telex, to its U.S. counterpart at NORAD
Headquarters in Colorado Springs, and NORAD Regional Headquarters at McCord Air
Force Ease in Washington State.34 Transmitted as 'RESTRICTED' material under the
U.S./Canada CIRVIS/JANAP directive (Communications Instructions for Reporting
Vital Intelligence Sightings), these reports have also been channelled to local
strategic military installations, such as NORAD Regional Headquarters at North
Bay Air Force Base, North Bay, Ontario, DND Air 176 Command in Winnipeg, as well
as National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.35 One such 'RESTRICTED' CIRVIS
report - a suspected UFO landing outside Grande Prairie, Alberta - was
transmitted from Canadian Forces Station Beaverlodge (Alberta) to all the above
mentioned locations as recently as January 21, 1976.36 Essentially, this means
that the DND. through its participation in NORAD, is collaborating with its U.S.
partner in collecting and transmitting such 'RESTRICTED' UFO reports.
Admittedly, this apparent NOR AD-generated report-sharing does not conclusively
prove current DND involvement in UFO research, On the other hand, a deliberate
laissez-faire policy toward UFOs seems highly unrealistic. To ignore the
consistent presence of unidentified and potentially hostile craft over strategic
military installations would represent an unthinkable violation of the mandate
and the philosophy inherent in NORAD. 1 Ottawa Journal, April 17, 1952. 2 Ibid.
3 Curt Sutherly, 'First American Pilot to Report UFOs', Sage UFO Report, Vol. 3,
No. 6 (March 1977). 4 Ottawa Journal, op. cit. 5 Project Second Storey, 'Minutes
of a Meeting to Discuss 'Flying Saucer' Sightings',' April 22, 1952. Defence
Research Board. Ottawa. 6 Ibid., Summary Report, November 21, 1953. 7 Ibid.,
“Minutes of the Meeting,” March 9, 1953., p. 2. 8 Weekend Magazine, Vol. 7, No.
27 (1957) P. 22. 9 Leon Davidson, “Flying Saucers: An Analysis of the Air Force
Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14,” Report of the Scientific Panel on
Unidentified Flying Objects. H.P. Robertson, Chairman, January 17, 1953
(Saucerian Publications, January 1971). 10 Donald E. Keyhoe, “Flying Saucers:
Top Secret”. Doubleday & Co. Inc. New York. 1964. p. 42. 11 Ottawa Journal,
July 20, 1967. 12 Chief of Defence (CDS) Briefing on Unidentified Flying
Objects, November 15, 1967. p. 3, Directorate of Operations, Department of
National Defence. From the Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, DND 222. Herzberg
Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research
Council, (Ottawa). 13 Project Second Storey, op. cit., April 24, 1952. 14 The
Honourable John Roberts, Secretary of State. 'Legislation on Public Access to
Government Documents', (Ottawa: Queen's Printer, June 1977). 15 Telephone
conversation with Senior Research Officer P.A.C. Chaplin. Directorate of
History, Department of National Defence. Ottawa. February 17, 1978. 18
Department of National Defence UFO File, HQ 940.105-Vol. 2 Directorate of
History, Department of National Defence, (Ottawa). 17 CDS Briefing on UFOs, op.
cit., p. 4. 18 Richard H. Hall, ed. The UFO Evidence (Washington, D.C.: National
Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1964). p. 118. 19 Ibid., p. 118.
20 Canadian-United States Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital
Intelligence Sightings. Ibid JANAP 146. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint
Communications-Electronics Committee Washington 25, D.C. February 1959, p. 134.
21 CDS Briefing on UFOs, op. cit., p. 4. 22 The House of Commons Debates July
22, 1963, p. 2448. 23 CDS Briefing on UFOs, op. cit., p. 4. 24 Toronto Star,
March 29, 1966. 25 Toronto Telegram, March 31, 1966. 26 Reporting of
Unidentified Flying Objects, CFAO 71-6, s-1605-71-6 V 2000-4 (DOPS). Issued 7
October 1966. Department of National Defence (Ottawa). 27 CDS Briefing on UFOs,
op. cit., p. 9. 28 Ibid., p. 10. 29 Department of National Defence, DOPS UFO
File, January 1 - November 15, 1967. From the Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, DND
24-222. Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National
Research Council, (Ottawa). 30 The House of Commons Debates, November 6, 1967.
p. 3918. of the American UFO experience. 31 Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics,
Planetary Sciences Section, National Research Council, Non-Meteoritic Sightings
File, DND 209, January 8, 1968, (Ottawa). 32 CDS Briefing on UFOs, op. cit., pp.
24-25. 33 A.G. McNamara, 'UFOs - What Are They?' Journal of the Canadian - Air
Traffic Control Association, Vol. 8, No. 1(1976). 34 Non-Meteoritic Sightings
File, NRC N76-011, op. cii. January 21, 1976. 35 Ibid. 35 Ibid. Department of
Transport Project Magnet One of the first scientists to suggest that UFOs
represented a probable by-product of advanced extra-planetary technology was
Wilbert B. Smith. a radio engineer with the Canadian Department of Transport
(DOT). Recognised today as the pioneer of UFO research in Canada, he was
instrumental in generating DOT-sponsored UFO research in 1950 which yielded some
startling findings. At the time, Smith was head of DOT's Broadcast and
Measurements Section. As a world expert in electromagnetism and
telecommunications, he had little difficulty in convincing his superiors to
examine what in effect was his personal fascination with the UFO phenomenon.1 It
was at a North American broadcasting conference in Washington in early 1950 that
he first proposed to his superior, DOT Deputy Minister John Baldwin, the need
for government-spon- 177 sored UFO study.2 The dramatic increase in the volume
of nation-wide sightings during the ensuing months added considerable support to
his proposal. Despite mass media's sensationalist portrayal of the UFO
phenomenon, public acceptance at that time was surprisingly high. According to a
poll taken in July of 1950 by the Canadian Institute of Public Opinion, Half of
the adult population of Canada believed that these mysterious disks are not just
imagination and that they are not just a natural phenomenon.3 By December of
that year, Smith was given the green light by Commander G.P. Edwards, then
Deputy Minister of Transport for Air Services, to go ahead with a UFO study
which came to be known as Project Magnet.4 Authorised by DOT engineers to draw
on UFO reports from across Canada, Smith embarked on this historical venture
with the assistance of his colleagues from within his own Broadcast and
Measurement Section. To this day many of the Project Magnet findings remain
classified material, with two notable exceptions - a small-scale study of
twenty-five 1952 sightings. released in May 1968; and the public disclosure of
an unprecedented instrument recording of a suspected UFO over the Project Magnet
sighting station at Shirley Bay, ten miles west of Ottawa, in August 1954. The
1952 study clearly demonstrated that the majority of cases compiled in the
eight-month period from May I to December 31 could not be explained as natural
identifiable phenomena. Of the twenty-five sightings analyzed, sixteen—or 64 per
cent—were either circular, elliptical, ring-like or cone-shaped vessels unlike
any known man-made craft.5 From this cross section of nation-wide cases Smith
was able to draw the following conclusions: They are a hundred feet or more in
diameter; they can travel at speeds of several thousand miles per hour; they can
reach altitudes well above these which would support conventional aircraft or
balloons; and ample power 178 and force seem to be available for all required
maneuvers. Taking these factors into account, it is difficult to reconcile this
performance with the capabilities of our technology, and unless the technology
of some terrestrial nation is much more advanced than is generally known, we are
forced to the conclusion that the vehicles are probably extra-terrestrial, in
spite of our prejudices to the contrary.6 Even though DOT had initially given
Smith full authorisation and co-operation, it soon became evident that his
controversial findings led to a downgrading of Project Magnet by subsequent
administrations. When portions of its report were declassified on May 9, 1968.
it became clear that the government had entirely disassociated itself from both
the mandate and the conclusion of the project. This was spelled out in a
disclaimer signed by Dr. Peter Millman, then head of Upper Atmosphere Research
of the National Research Council, and former Chairman of the Project Second
Storey Committee: I have been informed by the Department of Transport that
although Project Magnet was officially authorised by the Department, work on
this Project was carried out almost entirely by Mr. W.B. Smith and was in the
nature of a spare time activity. The conclusions reached in this report are
entirely those of Mr. Smith and do not represent an official opinion of either
the Department of Transport or of the Second Storey Committee.7 What may have
triggered the demise of Project Magnet was Smith's highly publicized instrument
recording in August 1954, heralded by the press as the worlds first.8 In the
wake of the excitement generated by his 1952 findings, Smith had received
approval to set up a UFO detection station at DOT's electronic establishment at
Shirley Bay. Open for operations in mid-December 1953, the twelve-foot-square
laboratory was equipped with an assortment of sophisticated electronic equipment
including a gamma ray detector, a radio wave detector, an ionospheric recorder
to monitor activity and changes in the ionised layer of gases sixty miles from
the earth's surface, and a gravimeter, designed to detect magnetic 179 and
gravity fluctuations in the atmosphere.9 Assisting Smith were Professor J.T.
Wilson of the University of Toronto; Dr. James Wait, a theoretical physicist
with the Defence Research Board, and Dr. G.D. Garland, gravitational expert at
the federal Mines and Technical Survey Department.10 Once the station was in
operation, Smith and his colleagues instituted a twenty-four-hour vigil. Nothing
unusual was recorded until eight months later when on Sunday, August 8, 1954, at
3:01 PM, the station's alarm bells rang out signalling that the gravimeter had
been tripped. Fortunately, Smith was on hand to observe the instrument
activation.11 He dashed over to look at it and: the deflection in the line
(drawn by an electronically operated-pen) was greater and more pronounced than
we have seen even when a large aircraft has passed over. bead. I ran outside to
see what might be in the sky. The overcast was down to a thousand feet, so that
whatever was up there, whatever it was that caused the sharp variation was
concealed behind the clouds. We must now ask ourselves what it could have been,
Although the evidence was inconclusive, Smith was convinced no known natural
atmospheric phenomenon could account for the unusual pattern.12 Uncomfortable
with the extensive press coverage sparked by the incident, Department of
Transport officials unceremoniously discontinued Project Magnet two days later.
This surprise move, described years later by Smith as "premature",13 coincided
with a tightening of military secrecy on UFOs in the United States, following
repeated leaks about tragic mishaps and mysterious disappearances of military
pilots who had pursued UFOs. It soon became apparent that Smith had been
persuaded to publicly downplay the Project Magnet findings. When he appeared
before the House of Commons Special Committee on Broadcasting on May 17, 1955,
be made the surprise admission that: 180 On the basis of our measurements, which
were nil, we came to the conclusion we had very little data of any nature to go
on.14 After that, Smith was still allowed to pursue his interests in UFOs
privately: but without DOT co-operation he was forced to scale down his
research. Prior to his untimely death in 1962, he restated his beliefs in an
interview with Weekend Magazine. From the weight of the evidence, I think they
come from outer space. But I can't prove it. The best I have is data on which
you can put a probability figure . . look at this way, if a stock promoter told
you that there was a 60 per cent probability that a certain stock would go up, I
don't think you'd invest with him. But if the weatherman told you there was a 60
per cent probability that a hurricane was going to hit your area, I think you'd
hurry up and bring in the lawn furniture. It's a question of viewpoint. You have
to make up your own mind how significant you think the matter is.15 The
documents relating to the Shirley Bay operation have remained classified to this
day. The following classical case of parliamentary 'double talk' took place in
the House of Commons on December 4, 1963, and demonstrates the government's
preoccupation with secrecy. Government spokesman Yvon Dupuis (Parliamentary
Secretary to the Secretary of State) responded to questions from Harold Winch
(PC-Vancouver East). Winch: Is Canada co-operating with the special United
States program for investigation of unidentified flying objects and if so, is
this entitled 'Project Magnet'? Dupuis: The United States program known as
'Project Magnet' is not directed to the investigation of unidentified flying
objects. Winch: Is 'Project Magnet' an un-publicised,. worldwide operation,
using specially equipped, super constellations, non-uniformed pilots and
civilian scientists? Dupuis: 'Project Magnet' is a program conducted by 181 the
naval oceanographic office of the U.S. Navy concerned with the compilation of
geo-magnetic data covering all the oceans of the world. Winch: Is any data
available from 'Project Magnet' to the general public? Dupuis: It is understood
that data obtained in 'Project Magnet' in the form of geo-magnetic charts is
available upon the application to the Naval Oceanographic Office of the U.S.
Navy.16 1 Harry Tokarz. 'Canadian UFO Research-Tribute to a Pioneer' Wilbert B.
Smith, 'The UFO Pulse Analyser', Issue No. 1 (April 1977) p. 19. 2 Weekend
Magazine, Vol.7, No. 27 (1957) p.4. 3 Ibid., p. 4. 4 Project Magnet Report,
Radio and Electrical Engineering Division, National Research Council. Released
May 9, 1968. (Ottawa), p. 1. Ibid., pp. 6-7. 6 Ibid., pp. 10-11. 7 Ibid., Note
on Project Magnet Report, Forward. 8 Toronto Globe and Mail, August 10, 1954. 9
ibid. 10 Sudbury Star, November 12, 1953. 11 Toronto Globe and Mail. op. cit. 12
Toronto Star, May 18, 1955. 13 Toronto Star, op. cit. 14 The House of Commons
Special Committee on Broadcasting. Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence. No. 8.
Tuesday, May 17, 1955 (Ottawa: Queen's Printer). 15 Weekend Magazine, op. cit.,
p. 21. 16 The House of Commons Debates December 4, 1963, p. 5408. The National
Research Council Since it took over responsibility for UFO investigation from
the Department of National Defence in February 1968, th6 Planetary Sciences
Section of the Hcrzberg Institute of Astrophysics at the National Research
Council (NRC) has acted primarily as a compilation and recording agency and only
peripherally as an investigative body. This fact was recently confirmed in a
telephone interview I bad with the bead of the Planetary Sciences Section, Dr.
Allen G. McNamara, who disclosed that since 1968 the NRC had received between
fifteen hundred to two thousand UFO sighting reports classified as
'non-meteoritic sightings'. Of these, about one hundred, or between 5 to 6.6 per
cent were examined: in what we would call some detail... checking data on
planets, satellites, analysis of position in the sky and calculation of where
this might be in respect to celestial objects. According to Dr. McNamara, "none
have defied explanation."2 This estimate of the number of actively investigated
cases is much higher than the number specified by Dr. McNamara on the August 15,
1976, edition of the CBC-Radio phone-in program 'Summer Switchboard', in which
he stated: 182 "I don't know the specific number, but I suppose there were at
least two."3 Attempting to explain the low numbers of UFO investigations in both
instances, Dr. McNamara referred to the UFO research mandate inherited by the
NRC: "Our responsibility was that the NRC would take over the maintenance of a
file of UFO reports and conduct any investigations determined by the scientific
merit they appeared to have. There was no commitment to do anything specific."4
His interpretation of NRC activities falls short of the initial intent by the
military when they transferred responsibility to the research agency. In a
November 1967 brief from Chief of Defence Staff it was recommended that: The
National Research Council accept the responsibility for co-ordinating a
scientific and objective investigation into UFO reports.5 NRC's poor record can
be explained by its apparent disinterest in UFO matters. According to John B.
Musgrave, Alberta Provincial Director for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON):
Although often believed or stated that this section is actively engaged in UFO
study, this branch is only interested in these reports as potential sightings of
meteorites. Hence, all reports sent to NRC are classified as either 'meteoritic'
or 'non-meteoritic'. Needless to say, for their purposes, any potential UFO
sighting is part of their 'garbage-can' file.6 Musgrave's assessment of NRC's
lack of interest remains unchallenged. When asked what determines whether a UFO
sighting is investigated, Dr. McNamara replied: "anything that appears of
scientific interest with particular reference to 183 meteors of course." When
asked if the priority would, then, be meteorites and fireballs, he replied
"Yes."7 As a result, it would appear that UFO reports deemed to be of
'scientific interest' receive, at best, a cursory evaluation. The examples are
plentiful. Some of these include the Shoal Lake tree-top damage physical trace
(June 18, 1967) and the case of the disappearing UFO photos at the Falconbridge
Radar Station (November 11, 1975). Even more curious is the high number of UFO
incidents that have aroused only negligible response from the NRC - the Montreal
rooftop occupant landing (January 6, 1977), the Pat McCarthy (Hamilton) UFO
photos (March 18, 1975), the Lake Baskatong UFO photos (March 11, 1978) and the
UFO presence and ensuing blackout over the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa (June
5, 1969). Several other important points came to light in the interview with Dr.
McNamara. First, all incoming UFO reports are initially broken down into
meteorite and non-meteorite classifications by a data analyst "who had been
trained to recognise these things". Dr. McNamara does not personally check each
sighting report as it comes in. Second, only one UFO-related ground marking case
has been investigated by the NRC. After a white granular material was found near
Stirling, Ontario, in May 1971, on a circular patch of inhibited plant growth,
samples were submitted by Toronto ufologist Henry McKay to the NRC; scientists
there referred the matter to the Soil Research Institute of Agriculture Canada.8
Laboratory findings revealed the substance to be anhydrous uric acid. Third,
subsequent physical trace cases were not looked into since "on the basis of the
previous one (the Stirling incident) it could not be done again unless it Was
paid for by the person who bad requested it." Fourth, the NRC has not requested
UFO research funds from the Treasury Board, nor does Dr. McNamara see "any
justification for this." Fifth, no one within the Planetary Sciences Section is
involved in analyzing UFO reports on a full time basis. Sixth, allegations that
the NRC has a secret UFO file is in Dr. McNamara's words, "pure fabrication".
184 Seventh, the NRC has never submitted incoming UFO photos to the digital
computer photo evaluation experts at Ground Saucer Watch in Phoenix, Arizona.
Eighth, the NRC claims not to accept any classified military UFO reports.
Nevertheless, “Restricted” CIRVIS/ JANAP reports not destined for the NRC- and,
in effect, not for public exposure, have ended up in NRC flies. Dr. McNamara
dismisses the bilateral military research “collaboration theory” and believes
the misdirected transmission of such reports is purely accidental. Meanwhile,
significant UFO incidents remain unexplored, and ignored. 1 Telephone
conversation with Dr. Allen 0. McNamara, January 18, 1979. 2 Ibid. 3 UFO-Quebec,
Troisième Trimestre, Num6ro 7 (1976) p. 13. 4 Telephone conversation with Dr.
McNamara, op. cit. 5 Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Briefing on Unidentified
Flying Objects, November 15, 1967. p. 26. Directorate of Operations, Department
of National Defence. From the Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, DNO 222. Herzberg
Institute of Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences Section, National Research
Council, (Ottawa). 6 Leonard H. Stringfield, Situation Red: The T.JFO Siegel
(New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977), p. 160. 7 Telephone
conversation with Dr. McNamara. op. cit. 8 N. Miles and S.P. Mathur '“Seasonal
Incidence of Anhydrous Uric Acid Granules in the Collision Zone of Two Fairy
Rings', Canadian Journal of Soil Science, No. 52 (October 1972) p. 515.
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9, 1974. Index Abductions of animals, 60, 74 witnesses 60, 75-76 Abee, Alberta,
49-52 Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), 17, 40, 48, 76-77 Air
Canada, 45, 154, 163 Alberta, 65, 105-107 Aliens From Space, 98 Allan, William
K., 65-67, 82 American Astronomical Society, 2 American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics (AIAA), 55 Amnesia, 75-82 Annola, Sylvia, 49-52 APRO Bulletin,
17 Arnold, Kenneth, 166 Associated Press (AP), 104 Australia, 2, 142 Baskatong
Reservoir, Quebec, 9-12, 183 Beaverlodge (Alberta), Canadian Forces Station, 176
Bennett, Tom, 27 Bermuda Triangle, 58, 102 Bissky, Squadron Leader, P., 40
Blaquière, Phillipe, 73 Boyd, Lee, 157, 158 Bray, Arthur, 150 British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), 40 British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC),
156 Brown, Darryl, 159 Cadieux, Leo, 43, 45 Calgary, Alberta, 13-15, 80-86, 106
Canada, 1, 3, 5, 22, 73-74 Canada, Government of, Agriculture, Department of,
Soil Research Institute, 23, 165, 183 Atomic Energy Control Board, 90-91 CDS
(Chief of Defence Staff), 14, 32, 169, 172, 182 CFAO (Canadian Forces
Administration Order), 173 CFHQ (Canadian Forces Headquarters), 32, 46. 108,
111, 172 Defence Photo Interpretation Centre, 14 Defence Research Board, 46, 90,
98, 165-66, 169-70, 179 Defence Research Naval Laboratory, 94 DEW (Distant Early
Warning Line), 140, 150-52 Directorate of History, 169 Directorate of
Intelligence, 112 Directorate of Scientific Coordination, 173-74 DOPS
(Directorate of Operations), 46, 169, 172-73 House of Commons, 19, 42, 45, 148,
172, 179-80 National Defence, Department of, 14, 33, 42, 88, 96, 102, 106, 132,
134, 143, 149, 161, 165-75 Air Defence Command, 170-71, 175-76 Headquarters, 98,
145-46, 176 National Health and Welfare, Department of, 41 National Research
Council, 19, 33, 42, 89, 135, 141, 162, 165. 169, 174, 175, 181-84
Non-Meteoritic Sightings File, 43, 175, 181-84 NORAD (North American Air Defence
Command), 62, 87-89, 96, 102, 140, 144, 152, 171, 175-76 Pinetree Line, 140-49
Privy Council, 43 Project Magnet, 93, 167, 177-81 Project Second Storey
Committee, 91, 161-69, 178 RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force), 40, 49, 89, 93,
98-99,105, 108-109, 132, 134, 168-71 RCAF Intelligence, 91, 166 RCMP (Royal
Canadian Mounted Police), 24, 26, 40-43, 48, 132-33, 165, 169 Scientific Deputy
Chief of Technical Services, 172 Transport, Department of, 161, 162, 165, 161,
176-71 180 Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, 158 Canadian Institute of
Public Opinion 177 Canadian Press, The, 30, 151 Cannon, Brian, 95 Cape Perry,
Dew Line State (Yukon), 151 Carter, Jimmy, 2-3 CAUS (Citizens Against UFO
Secrecy), 3, 147 CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 40, 142, 182 CETI
(Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence), Bywakan Astrophysical
Observatory, 57 CFCN-AM Radio, 66, 82 CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), 3, 102,
168 Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), 2, 11, 22, 80, 127 Chapeau, Allummette
Island, Quebec, 29-30 Chaput, Leo, Paul, 29-30 Chicago Tribune, 104 Childerhose,
Robert, 1, 107 China Syndrome, 114 Churchill, Manitoba, 159-60 Chuvalo, George,
173 CIRVIS/JANAP (Communications Instructions for the Reporting of Vital
Intelligence Sightings), 93, 139, 171, 174, 175-76, 184 Clappison Esther, 65-67
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 9, 36 'close encounter symptoms', 35-36,
39-40, 78 Condon Committee, 77, 173-74 Conway, Graham, 25, 28 Cooper, Gordon, 5
Cote, Roger, 161-62 Cozens, Charles, 44-45, 173 CP Air, 154, 160 Crandell,
Sergeant D.V., 89 David Dunlap Observatory, 110 Deep River, Ontario, 120-21
Devoir, Le, 136-37 Donderi, Don, 12 Dorval Airport (Montreal), 62-63, 92, 161
Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station, 117-19 Dreams, 77, 82-83 Dupuis, Yvon,
180 Edwards, Frank, 130 Environmental Damage, 114, 119 Esquimalt (British
Columbia), Canadian Forces Base, 93-95 Extraterrestrial life, 5, 6, 19, 53-55,
57-59, 78-79, 88, 93 176-78, 179 Fairy rings Marasmius oreodis, 23 Falcon Lake,
Manitoba. 37-43, 174 Falconbridge, Canadian Forces Radar Station, 144-48, 163,
183 Flammonde, Paris, 3 Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, 12 Ford,
Gerald, 173 Fort Macleod, Alberta, 107 Fortney, Edward, 47-49 France, 2, 3
Freedom of Information Act, 3, 5, 88, 147, 170 Friedman, Stanton, T., 4, 5,
105-106, 142 Frum, Barbara, 142 Funk, Gilbert, 49-53 Gairy, Eric, 4 Gammie,
Bert, 99 Gander, Newfoundland, 100-101 Gander Airport, (Gander), 101 Georgia
Thermal Generating Plant, 122 Globe and Mail (Toronto), 89, 127 Gontovnick,
Howard, 63 Goose Bay Air Force Base, Newfoundland, 110-11, 143-44, 157, 170
Government House, Ottawa, 132-33 Grand Falls, Montana, 106-107 Green Lake,
British Columbia, 99 Ground Saucer Watch (GSW), 3, 7, 13, 15-16, 89 Guelph Daily
Mercury, 19 Halifax Mail-Star, 151 Halliday, Dr. Ian, 147 Hamilton, Ontario, 7,
17-19, 44-46, 75, 173 Hamilton Spectator, The, 18, 45 Hammond, Ontario, 115
Harder, Dr. James, 76-78 Harris, Jim, 127 Hellyer, Paul, 98, 169 Horton, Samuel,
118 Hoville, Wido, 11-12, 63, 67, 73, 161 Howard, James, 156-58 Howe, William
D., 45 Hull, Quebec, 134-36 Hunag, Dr. S.S., 57 Hydro-Quebec, 114, 135
Hydroscope, 116, 118 Hynek, Dr. J. Allen, 2-3, 4-5, 11-12, 19, 33, 126, 142
Hypnotic regression, 54, 69-71, 76-81, 82 Indianapolis Star, 129 Jacobson,
Eleanor M., 15-16 Jerome, Major Edwin A., 143-44 Journal de Montreal, Le, 62-63
Keel, John A., 79-80 Kelly, Leonard (Red), 172 Kenora, Ontario, 15-16 Keyhoe,
Major Donald E., 98, 99, 102 110-11, 126. 129 Kinross U.S. Air Force Base,
103-104 KLRH Radio, Lackland U.S. Air Force Base, 103, 104 Lake Huron, 117-18
Lake Ontario, 18, 117, 127 Lake Superior, 102-105 Langenburg, Saskatchewan, 23
Lavoie, Jacques, 9-12 Lehn, W.H., 142 London, Ontario, 109-10 London Free Press,
109-10 Lucas, Douglas, 29 Maccabee, Dr. Bruce, S., 5, 142 MacDonald, Dr. James
E., 126, 128, 130, 158 McKenna, Dr. C.J., 90 MacDuff, Claude, 136 Maine, Dr.
Frank, 19 Malboeuf, Florida, 61-64 Manicouagan Hydro-electric Complex (Quebec),
136 Manitoba Centre for UFO Studies, 35-41 Manitoba, Government of Forestry,
Department of, 33 Health and Social Development, Department of, 40, 41 Marshall,
William, (Mrs.), 121-23 Mather, Barry, 43 Mayo Clinic, 42, 44 McCampbell, James
M., 33, 35-36 McCarthy, Mary, 120-21 McCarthy, Pat, 7, 17, 19, 183 McCord U.S.
Air Force Base, 175 McIntosh, Dr. Bruce, 147-48 McKay, Henry, 183 McMaster
University (Hamilton Ont.), 18 McNamara, Dr. Allen G., 181-84 McRae Flight
Sergeant Reginald, Michalak, Stephen, 37-43, 60 Millbank, Stephen, 153, 154
Miller, J.A., 163-64 Millman, Dr. Peter, 33, 90, 167, 178 Monda, Lieutenant
Felix, Jr., 103-104 Mont Rougemont, Quebec, 73, 137-39 Montreal-Matin, 135
Montreal Urban Community Police, 63 Morier, Ronald L., 24 Mount Pleasant,
Ontario, 27-29 Musgrave, John B., 54, 182-83 Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), 5, 54,
75-76, 182 My Encounter With the UFO, 37-43 National Aeronautics Space
Administration (NASA), 2, 8, 122 NBC-TV, 14, 100 Neal, Reginald, 94-95 New York
City, 128-29 New Zealand, 5, 142 Niagara Falls, Ontario, 127-28 NICAP (National
Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), 103, 105, 126, 141, 143, 151,
171 North Bay Air Force Base (Ontario), 62, 87, 90-91, 147-48, 162, 166, 175
Northeast Blackout, 125-31, 135 Novaya Zemlaya Effect, 142 Nuclear Energy,
114-19 Nuclear Power Demonstration, (NPD), Rolphton, Ontario, 120 Oliver,
Donald. 150-51 Oliver, Major Michael, 145 Ontario, 45, 108-109, 126, 173
Ontario, Government of, Lands and Forests, Department of (Environment), 30
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), 28, 120-21. 164 Solicitor General, Forensic
Services Centre, 28-29 Ontario Hydro, 115-17, 120, 127, 133 Ottawa, Ontario, 14,
132-36, 166, 170, 177 Ottawa Citizen, The, 120, 134 Ottawa Journal, The, 121,
134, 165-66 Pachal, Ashley, 49-52 Parks, Andy. 117 Parliament Hill, 8, 126,
132-35, 183 Pembroke, Ontario, 29 Persinger, Dr. Michael, 58 Petawawa (Ontario),
Canadian Forces Base, 121 Phillips, Ted, 20, 23-24 Pickering Nuclear Generating
Station (Ontario), 115-18 Pilots, Civilian, 153-64, 173 Pilots, Military, 87,
96-110, 144, 147-48, 173 Poher, Dr. Claude, 4 Port Coquitlam, British Columbia,
25-27 Project Blue Book, 14, 106-107 Project UFO (TV Program), 100 Quebec
(Province), 135-38, 154-63 Quebec City, 161-62 Radar, False Signals, 5, 141, 147
installations, 101, 103, 106-107, 111, 140-52 Tracking of UFOs, 6, 101, 103,
106-108, 110, 140-52, 160, 163 Radiation, Microwave, 21, 33, 35-36, 48, 52, 67,
124 Nuclear, 36, 39-40, 42, 45, 116, 119-20 Radium, 40-41 Regina, Saskatchewan,
107 Reid, John, 148-50 Rimouski, Quebec, 136 Rosedale, Alberta, 56, 65, 67
Rossell, Warrant Officer E.H., 90 Rougemont, Quebec, 137-39 Roy, Jean, 68, 162
Sagan, Dr. Carl, 57 Saint Matthias de Chambly, Quebec, 72-74 Schreyer, Edward
(Governor General of Canada), 43 Seewaldt, David, 81-86 Selfridge (U.S.) Air
Force Base, Michigan, 118, 147 Sept-Iles, Quebec, 156-58 Shirleys Bay, Ontario,
177-SO Shoal Lake, Ontario, 31-33, 174, 183 Simon Fraser University (Vancouver,
B.C.), 27 Sioux Lookout Canadian Forces Radar Station (Ontario), 148-49 Sioux
Lookout Daily Bulletin, 149-50 Sir Adam Beck No. 2 Generating Station (Ontario),
127-30 Smith, Warren, 13-14, 174 Smith, Wilbert B., 93, 167, 176-79 Solandt, Dr.
O.M., 90, 167 Soo Locks, Michigan, 103 Soroka, Staff Sergeant Bud, 29 South
America, 56, 76 Soviet Union, 3-4, 96-97, 130, 140, 152, 168, 171 Spaulding,
William H., 8, 15 Sprinkle, Dr. Leo, 77 St. Cyrille de Drummondville, 57, 67-71
St. Hubert Air Base (Quebec), 87, 91-93, 151, 171 St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, 137
Star Trek, 78, 97, 153 Stirling, Ontario, 183 Stringfield Leonard, 5, 97
Sturrock, Dr. Peter A., 2 Sudbury, Ontario, 105, 144-48, 160-63 Sudbury, Star,
The, 145-46 Suffield ORB Experimental Station (Alberta), 98, 168 Syracuse Herald
Journal, 129 Time Magazine, 129 Toronto Star, 91-92 Turner, Colonel, W.W., 14
UFO, Aerodynamic maneuvers, 5, 7, 9-10, 12-13, 16, 17-19 23 25, 30-32, 37, 46,
61, 64, 67, 89-91, 93-94, 98, 100-102, 105-12, 116-47, 129-30, 132, 135-36, 138,
141-42, 143-45, 151-52, 155-57, 161, 163, 178 Attempts to communicate with,
38-39, 125, 138 Chases by military aircraft, 81, 96-100, 102-107, 109, 144,
147-48, 157 Chases, disappearance of planes/crew, 81, 97, 102-107, 168, 179
Chases, filming of UFOs, 99-100, 102, 106 Chases, pilot fatalities 97, 104,
105-106 Crashes, 5. 97 EM (Electromagnetic) Effect, 6, 49, 125, 128 Internal
Combustion Engines, 124-25 139 Radio Disruption, 12, 32, 125, 160, 162 TV
Disruption, 124-25, 139 Emissions, 13, 20, 24-28, 35-36, 49, 67, 93, 99, 114,
118-19, 137, 159-60, 163 Foliage Damage, 21-22, 30-33, 49, 52, 66-67, 69, 73,
137, 183 Ground Markings, 5, 16, 19-31, 39, 62-64, 66-67, 68-69, 73, 137, 183
Hoaxes, 7-8, 21, 24, 41, 43, 64, 78, 149-5 1, 164 Landings, 5-6, 16-17, 19-31,
37-39, 44-45, 65-68, 69, 72-74, 175 National Security Threat, 6, 46, 88 98, 111,
165, 168-72 Occupants, 3, 5, 9, 20-21, 46, 48, 53-74, 75-86 Official Recognition
of, 3-4, 90, 92-93, 165, 185 Origin Hypotheses, 6, 19, 57-58, 93-94, 157, 158
Over Communications Installations, 47, 60, 138-39 Over Energy-Producing
Facilities, 60, 95, 114-23, 126, 128-30, 136 Over Farms, 22, 27-31, 137 Over
High-Voltage Transmission Lines, 46-47, 95, 115, 125 Over Military
Installations, 59, 87-95, 98, 114, 140-52, 162-63, 166 Paranormal Aspects, 6,
27, 58-59, 79, 81, 82-83, 86, 97, 101, 103-104, 106, 121-22 Photographic
Evidence, 5, 6, 7-19, 20, 94, 98, 102, 106-107, 128-29, 141-42, 145, 162-63,
183-84 Physiological Reactions to - Animal Response, 6, 15-16, 25, 29, 37-38,
52, 66 Human Response, 6, 27, 30, 35-45, 47-49, 5], 75-76, $4, 139 Related Power
Blackouts, 114, 115, 124-39 Witnesses abduction of, 60-61, 75-86 amnesia of,
75-86 behaviour modification, 78, 79-80 contactees, 75-81 disappearance of, 80,
97-98 UFO Exist, 3 UFO-Quebec, 11, 63, 67, 69, 72-73, 137, 139, 160-61 UFO
Society of Edmonton, 49-52 UFOCAT, 3 Ukrainian, 38, 60 United Nations, 3-5, 54
United States, 2, 5, 22, 76, 98 United States, Government of, ADC (Air Defence
Command), 106-107 Air Force Intelligence, 97-98, 101-102, 111, 157 Air Technical
Intelligence, 102 Defence Department, 1, 6, 102, 143, 147 Defence Intelligence
Agency, 3 FPC (Federal Power Commission), 127 Freedom of Information Act, 3, 147
House Committee on Science and Astronautics, 77 NASA, 3, 8, 122 National
Security Agency, 3 NORAD (North American Air Defence Command), 87-90, 102,
140-44, 152, 171, 176 NORAD Headquarters (Colorado Springs), 62, 175-76
Robertson Panel of Scientific Consultants, 167-68 U.S. Air Force, 2-3, 14, 77,
97, 102-104, 106-107, 110-12, 143, 147, 168-69, 173 U.S. Navy, 100 Naval
Intelligence, 102 University of British Columbia, 26-27 University of Calgary.
82-86 University of Manitoba, 32 Vallée, Dr. Jacques. 4, 36 Vancouver, British
Columbia, 25, 99 Victoria, British Columbia. 93-94 Voorsluys, Hermanus, 93
Waldheim Kurt, 4 Walsh, Robert C. 128 Wardair, 159 Webb, David, 54, 75, 80
Weekend Magazine, 180 Wilmot, Daisy, 17 Winch, Harold, 180 Windsor, Ontario,
163-64, 173 Winnipeg, Manitoba. 37, 39-40, 46-48, 108, 176 Wood, Dr. Robert M.,
55, 57 X-Ray Spectrometry, 27 Yeo, Warrant Officer W.J., 89
