The Shag Harbour incident, which occurred on October 4, 1967, remains one of Canada's most famous UFO cases. It involved the reported crash of an unidentified flying object into the waters off the small fishing village of Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia. This case stands out in Canadian UFO history for its extensive eyewitness accounts, official investigations, and enduring mystery.
Around midnight, residents near Shag Harbour reported seeing a strange object in the sky. Witnesses described it as a large craft, over 60 feet in diameter, with four horizontally spaced white lights. It moved silently before rapidly descending into the harbor, producing a loud whistling sound followed by a flash of light. Observers noticed glittering yellow foam on the water's surface near the crash site.
The RCMP in nearby Barrington received multiple calls, with many initially assuming the event involved an aircraft crash. Three RCMP officers and several civilians arrived at the scene and observed the floating object before it sank. A search was immediately launched, involving local fishermen and later supported by Canadian military resources.
The RCMP's involvement and the unusual nature of the event attracted media attention. The Halifax Chronicle-Herald reported on the investigation, even referencing a (non-existent) "special and little known Royal Canadian Air Force department" dedicated to UFO investigations.
Despite the involvement of RCMP officers, no RCMP files on the Shag Harbour crash have been found. This absence is particularly curious given the RCMP's typically detailed record-keeping, especially concerning UFO sightings.
Hayes, Matthew. "UFOs in Canada". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 20 October 2020, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ufos-in-canada . Accessed 01 November 2024.
Hayes, Matthew. A History of Canada's UFO Investigation, 1950-1995. Trent University, 2018.https://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/objects/etd-776
Styles, Chris, and Graham Simms. Impact to Contact: The Shag Harbour Incident. Halifax: Arcadia House Publishing, 2013.