Northern Lights: The Canadian UFO Experience

Unexplained objects in the sky have been a part of history ever since human began recording their experiences. Lights, angels, and monsters descending from above appear in virtually every society's folklore. These fantastic objects had become inextricably linked with extraterrestrial life forms and many theories have been created to explain their origin and purpose. By studying our own UFO stories we may gain a better understanding of their true significance. 1967 was a pivotal year in Canadian history. As host to the world's expo Canada had secured its reputation as a modern and enlightened country. But by 1967 in Canada the UFO question became as relevant as the need to explore. However, the UFO age didn't begin in Canada. The origin of the modern flying saucer myth was a distinctly American story. On Tuesday, June 24, 1947, businessman and pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying his aircraft over the mountains of Washington State. Arnold was a member of the Idaho's search and rescue flyers. He had heard about a missing C-46 air force transporter lost somewhere near Mount Rainier and decided to spend an hour checking of the steep cliffs and deep crags of the mountain side. The weather was clear, not a single cloud in the bright, blue sky. Arnold was gazing down on a high plateau when a flash of light caught his attention. For a moment he tensed... it could mean he was on a collision course with another aircraft, but the only other aircraft in sight was a distant DC-4. A second flash caught his eye and now he knew where to look. From the direction of Mount Baker in the North a formation of bright objects flying at an incredible speed was heading toward Mount Rainier. To his surprise there were no projecting parts, like wings or tails, on the objects. At first he thought they were a squadron of jet aircraft but he had doubts. Arnold pushed up the window to see the objects better. They were flat, not quite circular. Using watch he calculated their speed to be 2000 miles per hour. The squadron passed by Mount Adams and finally disappeared over the horizon. The show was over and it lasted only three minutes.