Canada needs a transparent, centralized agency to manage reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), says a new report commissioned by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor.
The Sky Canada Project, which launched in 2022, concludes that federal departments have created fragmented UAP reporting mechanisms, making proper scientific investigation difficult.
“There is some evidence that there’s something really unusual going on in the skies … we just don’t have enough information,” said Chris Rutkowski, a long-time UFO researcher who contributed to the report.
UAP Reporting: Disjointed and Ineffective
The report highlights the lack of coordination between Transport Canada, NavCanada, the Canadian Space Agency, and other government entities, calling the current system an obstacle to credible research.
Canada once had a central UAP reporting office under the National Research Council (NRC) in partnership with the RCMP, but that effort ended in 1995. Since then, much of the data has come from Rutkowski’s independent Canadian UFO Survey, which has logged over 25,000 sightings.
“Canada would benefit from an improved process for reporting, collecting, and studying UAP sightings,” the report states.
Learning from Global Models
Sky Canada analyzed how other nations address UAPs. In the U.S., the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) was created under the Department of Defense. NASA has also launched its own UAP study. Meanwhile, Congress continues to hold public hearings citing national security concerns.
The report cited Harvard’s Galileo Project, led by astrophysicist Avi Loeb, as an example of a rigorous scientific approach. Loeb’s team uses advanced sensors and AI to detect and analyze anomalous aerial objects, whether natural, man-made, or possibly extraterrestrial.
Public Trust and Transparency
One of the report’s key recommendations is to improve public trust through greater transparency and proactive communication to dispel misinformation and conspiracy theories.
“Taking that into a way to educate people about misinformation, about challenging your own assumptions … was a really exciting new thing to me,” said Sara Seager, an MIT astrophysicist not involved in the report.
Who Should Lead?
While the report suggests the Canadian Space Agency as a potential lead for national UAP data, Seager believes a university might be more effective at public outreach and scientific engagement.
“Universities are used to educating people,” she said, proposing academic institutions as hubs for public education on natural phenomena and UAP science.
Not Proof of Aliens — But Still Unexplained
Although most sightings turn out to be mundane — such as aircraft, satellites, drones, weather phenomena, or optical illusions — a small fraction remain unexplained after thorough investigation.
“It doesn’t necessarily prove aliens are visiting us. It proves some unusual cases are baffling,” said Rutkowski.
The Sky Canada report emphasizes that while it was not designed to prove or disprove extraterrestrial life, building a better system for tracking unexplained aerial sightings is a crucial first step toward scientific clarity.
“There’s no question the truth is out there,” Rutkowski added. “Unfortunately, we’re stuck down here.”
