
UFO sightings in Canada rose after U.S. downed objects, researcher says
Global News
Canada's preeminent ufologist has seen an uptick in reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in recent days suggesting more Canadians are turning their eyes to the sky.
Canada’s preeminent ufologist has seen an uptick in reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in recent days suggesting more Canadians are turning their eyes to the sky after U.S. fighter jets shot down three separate objects over the weekend.
Chris Rutkowski, with Ufology Research in Winnipeg, has been collecting and analyzing Canadian data on unidentified flying objects, or unidentified aerial phenomena as it’s more recently been referred to as, for nearly 35 years.
Following the U.S. and Canadian governments “unprecedented” decision to take action against the objects, Rutkowski has received a number of sighting descriptions, including one on an Ontario highway near Cambridge where someone said they saw a “black rectangle” move across the highway.
“People are keeping a closer eye to the skies and thankfully are reporting them so that we can get some data on what people are seeing,” said Rutkowski.
Reported sightings of unidentified flying object reached an all-time high in Canada in the 2010s but have been on a steady decline since then.
Ufology Research’s latest study released earlier this month suggests there were 768 UFO sightings in the country last year _ a slight increase of about six per cent from the previous year. Rutkowski found one person in Quebec reported nearly 40 separate sightings, which accounted for the higher number. The number of reported sightings in Canada last year was the fourth-lowest over the past 20 years.
The study said these numbers likely don’t show the full picture as individuals are reluctant to report sightings out of fear of being ridiculed or concern for their reputation.
But Rutkowski stresses times have changed in the field. While the mere mention of the term UFO used to conjure images of alien invasions, tin hat wearing conspiracists and pop culture extraterrestrial icons Alf and E.T., research around the phenomena has evolved in government and academic circles.