What we learned from Canada’s first UFO report in decades

Canada's first official UFO report in decades urges further scientific study and the creation of a dedicated federal research body

A new report on unidentified flying objects reveals what the Canadian government’s top scientist thinks about UFO sightings and the way they’re handled.

The first of its kind in Canada in decades, the highly anticipated report makes several bold recommendations, including that cases should be officially investigated in the country. Canada, it concludes, ought to follow the lead of countries like the U.S. and create a “dedicated service” to study sightings of unidentified objects and lights in our skies.

The recommendations are part of a preliminary report from the Sky Canada Project, which was launched in 2022 by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada to investigate how UFO sightings are handled in the country. It is the first known Canadian government UFO research effort in nearly 30 years.

“My role is to provide independent advice to the Government of Canada,” Chief Science Advisor of Canada Mona Nemer told CTVNews.ca in a written statement. “I am convinced that my recommendations will be taken seriously by our leaders.”

CTVNews.ca was provided an advance copy of a 16-page “preview” report, which was released on Wednesday, more than two years after the Sky Canada Project was launched. You can read it here. A longer, full version of the report is expected later this year.

“The Sky Canada Project’s recommendations provide a framework for the consistent and efficient management of UAP sightings in Canada,” Nemer told CTVNews.ca. “This provides several benefits such as improving North American co-ordination with our partners, supporting space science, enhancing public trust and combating disinformation. These are all priority issues for Canada.”

Used throughout the report, the acronym “UAP” typically stands for “unidentified aerial (or anomalous) phenomena,” which has largely replaced terms like “UFO” and “unidentified flying objects” in official circles. After decades of dismissal and denial by U.S. authorities, NASA, the Pentagon and American lawmakers have all gone public about their recent efforts to investigate UAP. The Pentagon has even established a UAP research bureau known as the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

“Our goal was to find the current resources and processes in place for handling and following up on UAP reports, to compare them with the best practices in other countries, and to make recommendations for potential improvements,” Nemer explained in the report’s opening message. “The preparation of this report has garnered more public anticipation than any project in the history of this office.”

‘Dedicated service’ to study UFOs

The report’s most significant recommendation is for the Canadian government to “establish a dedicated service” to manage and analyze UAP data. Hosted by a federal entity like the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), this service would “collect testimonies, investigate cases and post its analyses publicly.” It would also take the lead on informing Canadians about UAP and co-ordinate with other government entities and international partners.

• Preview: Sky Canada Report from the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada

“A more structured approach to the management of UAP reporting in Canada would be beneficial on many grounds,” the report argues. “It would enhance transparency and combat disinformation; it would also demonstrate Canada’s commitment to scientific rigour and inquiry.”

It remains to be seen if the Canadian Space Agency will act on the Sky Canada Project’s suggestion that it run the new UAP research body. In a previous statement, a CSA spokesperson told CTVNews.ca that the “study of UAPs does not fall within the CSA’s mandate and there are currently no plans to explore the topic in the future.”

Like AARO in the U.S., a similar UAP research office was created in France in 1977 under the umbrella of the country’s national space agency. Known by the French acronym GEIPAN – short for “Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon Research and Information Group” in English – the office has examined more than 3,100 UAP sightings to date, including 99 that remained unidentified after investigation. The Canadian government’s National Research Council of Canada previously collected UAP reports until stepping away from the enigmatic issue in 1995.

“Data related to UAPs should be made available to the public for transparency and to support research,” the new Sky Canada Projectreport states. “Adopting a science-based, collaborative approach will help address public concerns, demystify UAPs, and potentially reveal valuable insights into aerial phenomena that are currently unexplained.”

Fighting stigma and misinformation

The Sky Canada Project’s other recommendations focus on supporting public engagement, combating misinformation, developing digital tools like apps for data collection, and enhancing aviation reporting.

“Transport Canada should encourage pilots, cabin crews and air traffic controllers to report UAP sightings without fear of stigmatization,” the report adds, referring to the federal transportation department. In collaboration with civilian air traffic controllers, Transport Canada should also analyze reports and provide pilots with explanations to help “reduce distractions during flights.”

Previous CTVNews.ca investigations have shown how UAP sightings in Canada are captured by a patchwork of procedures from Transport Canada, the Royal Canadian Air Force and other government departments and agencies, which for decades have received reports from credible witnesses like soldiers, police officers, air traffic controllers and pilots on medical, military, cargo, passenger and regional flights.

“UAP reports are received by various departments in different forms with little co-ordination or oversight, leading to inconsistent data collection that hinders scientific investigations,” the Sky Canada Project report states. “There is no official accessible platform for Canadians to report UAP sightings, obtain potential explanations or review reliable information about UAPs. This situation contributes to the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation.”

Could UFOs be alien technology?

Despite testimony from an alleged U.S. whistleblower, the Pentagon and NASA have both separately stated that there is no evidence to indicate that UAP represent something otherworldly. The Sky Canada Project’s website also clear that their work “is not meant to prove or disprove the existence of extraterrestrial life or extraterrestrial visitors.”

“Accordingly, this report focuses on the services available to the Canadian public for reporting UAPs, and not on the UAPs themselves,” Nemer clarified in the report’s opening message. “The Sky Canada Project is not about investigating what UAPs are.”

From drones to balloons, satellites, meteors, flares, paper lanterns, planets, atmospheric phenomena and perhaps even experimental military technology, many UFO sightings could have ordinary or earthly explanations. But unless there is an obvious safety or security concern, there tends to be little sign of official investigation or follow-up from Canadian authorities, leaving most cases officially unexplained.

“Reports of UAP sightings are not further analyzed unless they are deemed to pose safety or security risks,” the Sky Canada Project report confirms. “Individuals reporting sightings rarely receive follow-ups.”

Experts say ‘more data is needed’

One of Canada’s most vocal advocates for UAP transparency, Conservative MP Larry Maguire, has been publicly advocating for a research effort like the Sky Canada Project since 2022.

“The Sky Canada Project represents the first substantive attempt to study how Canada can best respond to reports of UAP,” the Manitoba lawmaker told CTVNews.ca. “The haphazard nature of our current approach to UAP monitoring and reporting leaves too much room for speculation.”

The Sky Canada Project’s recommendations were also welcomed by Winnipeg-based science writer and UFO researcher Chris Rutkowski, who has been studying Canadian cases for more than 30 years.

“Regardless of whether UAP turn out to be drones, aircraft, stars, or satellites, the fact that the average Canadian as well as trained observers such as pilots and police file UAP reports shows that there is a need for serious, objective and scientific study of these persistent phenomena,” Rutkowski, who was also consulted for the report, told CTVNews.ca. “The Sky Canada Project report lays the foundation for Canadian research and investigations into the nature of UAP.”

Paul Delaney is an emeritus professor of physics and astronomy at York University in Toronto. While Delaney strongly doubts UAP represent extraterrestrial technology, he acknowledges that a small percentage of cases remain unexplained and are thus worthy of further investigation.

“While it is true that some reports remain unidentified, this simply means that more data is needed,” Delaney told CTVNews.ca. “Hence why efforts such as the Sky Canada Project are gaining momentum. Collecting good data and making it available for closer scrutiny and thus removing the stigma associated with such observations, is very important.”

Why is a government office studying UFOs?

Since it was created in 2017, the “chief science advisor of Canada” post has been led by cardiovascular scientist and former University of Ottawa research executive Mona Nemer. Tasked with providing impartial scientific advice to the government, Nemer’s arm’s length office reports directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

“The project was spurred by increased public interest and recent developments in other countries, particularly the United States, where formal procedures for addressing UAP sightings are in development,” the report explains. “Efforts to study UAPs with scientific rigour and engage the Canadian scientific community have been limited in Canada.”

Nemer’s office has previously published reports on topics such as COVID-19, aquaculture and open science. CTVNews.ca first reported on the Sky Canada Project’s existence in March 2023. The full report was initially stated to be released in 2024.

“It required more research and consultations than initially anticipated to ensure accuracy and feasibility of the recommendations in the Canadian context,” Nemer told CTVNews.ca. “The full report will be released as soon as it is completed.”

The report also features a list of organizations and experts consulted by the Sky Canada Project, including the Department of National Defence, Transport Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, GEIPAN in France and former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick in the U.S.

“In general, our colleagues in the federal government have been co-operative,” Nemer told CTVNews.ca. “Unfortunately, they often had very little to share.”

In an email to CTVNews.ca on Friday, a Canadian Space Agency spokesperson said that while the agency is “honoured” to be recognized in the report, more " discussion and analysis" is needed within the Canadian government.

“It is premature to determine which organization is best placed to take on the role of managing public UAP data,” the CSA spokesperson said. “The CSA is actually not involved in managing UAPs as they are typically reported in airspace (within the atmosphere) and not in space.”

In a statement to CTVNews.ca on Thursday, an Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada spokesperson said ISED was not involved with the report as “UFOs/UAPs do not fall within our mandate.” Specific questions on implementing the report’s recommendations were deferred to “agencies with specific expertise” such as the Canadian Space Agency and National Research Council of Canada.

“Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer provides critical advice to the Government of Canada and plays a leadership role in promoting evidence-based decisions and science for the benefit of Canadians,” the ISED spokesperson said. “They have full autonomy in determining how to organize their work and how to deliver the advice requested by the government.”

A spokesperson from Transport Canada said the department is awaiting “concrete recommendations” and “will carefully review the findings of the final report once published.”

“While Transport Canada has been providing information to the project, it is still too early to determine what and whether future work might be required by the federal government,” the spokesperson said on Thursday. “Transport Canada remains in close communication and coordination with key partners and will take appropriate action within our mandate to continue to ensure aviation safety for the travelling public.”

The report ends with the results of a public opinion poll conducted in August by Earnscliffe Strategies, which is a Canadian public relations and communications firm. The online survey of 1,008 Canadian adults found that over one in four respondents – 27 per cent – had personally witnessed a UFO. The results were weighted by age, gender and region using the latest Statistics Canada data.

“However, only 10 per cent reported their sightings and 40 per cent of respondents would not know who to contact for reporting,” the report said. “Interestingly, a majority of respondents support the establishment of a federal government service to gather UAP reports and make findings publicly available.”

Read the full preview of the upcoming Sky Canada Report

Jan. 17, 2025 – This story has been updated with statements from the Canadian Space Agency, Transport Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada