UFOs In Canadian Politics?
By Dave Scott
Throughout the last couple years the UFO subject has become a hot button topic for many media outlets in the United States, while north of the border, the Canadian Government, along with the Canadian mainstream media, have been virtually silent on the topic. It’s not as if Canada hasn’t had its share of UFO incidents, namely the Shag Harbour affair on October 3rd, 1967, where it’s alleged a UFO crashed into the Harbour, with eye witnesses ranging from the Canadian and U.S. Navy, along with members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. There’s the Stefan Michalek case as well, where the Manitoba native claimed he was burned by a UFO on May 19th of 1967. Both these incidents were commemorated by the Canadian Mint with collectors coins in 2018 and 2019, selling out instantaneously.
Outside of the Honourable Paul Hellyer, Canada’s former Minister of Defense, there hasn’t been a single Canadian politician who has spoken up on the UFO and extraterrestrial phenomena. The subject has been a moot point, not seen worthy of a topic facing Canada in the political field. The Canadian Military is notoriously under funded, and has been for decades. The aging CF-188 Hornet population is coming up 40-years old, with no replacement named as of yet. Canada currently sits 74th in the world’s largest militaries, with approximately $20.1-billion spent annually keeping the force of roughly 68-thousand and 27-thousand reservists intact.
Therefore, is there room for hidden ‘black projects’ or studies of aerial phenomenon within the Canadian system? The likely assumption is no, there isn’t. However, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t intrigue within the political community in Canada’s capital of Ottawa. Recently on Spaced Out Radio, writer and researcher for VICE and Popular Mechanics, MJ Banias made a short quip during our interview, stating he had conversations with a person within the Canadian government asking about UFOs. Banias, an intrepid writer on the subject of UFOs from Winnipeg, Manitoba, says the contact began in May of 2019, as Canada was preparing for the fall federal election. The person who contacted Banias, is currently an ‘aide’ to a Member of Parliament, or MP for short. This MP is also a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. We should also mention, the MP was re-elected in his riding this past October during the election.
Through multiple conversations via email and telephone, Banias, the author of ‘The UFO People: A Curious Culture’ related, “They felt that due to the large influx of recent media coverage on UFOs in the US, what should Canada do to get this into more open discussion. Moreover, how would a politician best handle a question regarding UFOs. There was some concern that the Canadian military was not actively studying the UFO phenomenon, or at least in any open sense.” Now, whether this was just one concerned MP who has an interest in this topic, or a Conservative Party inquiry for information, is not yet known. Upon release of this story, we have not been able to contact the CPC for a quote.
The aide, according to Banias, also wanted to know about MJ’s personal and current awareness of any Canadian military personnel, particularly those in senior positions, being aware of or discussing the current UFO issue. Although Banias has never spoken to any Canadian military officer regarding UFOs in a formal setting with the intention to discuss policy or security. There was also curiousity on their part asking Banias why the Canadian media was not interested in covering this subject compared to their media counterparts in the United States.
Here’s where it gets interesting. According to Banias, the aide for the MP was also concerned about the UFO question being asked. “While I am used to fielding questions regarding the phenomenon itself, it is unique that someone in government reached out in order to engage in a more sociological conversation discussing the implications of a question posed during an election year regarding UFOs.” The thought is this MP, and potentially his entire party, wanted to be prepared in case some rogue and rebellious reporter asked Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon during a scrum. Asking MJ basically how they should answer the question, Banias responded, “Tell the truth!” For the record, during the election run up and debates, the UFO question wasn’t even on the radar of the media on the campaign trail.
The Canadian media has been relatively oblivious to the UFO phenomenon, treating it like it doesn’t deserve air time or newspaper space, according to alternative media news outlet, Zland Communications, and their news director, Victor Viggiani. “Opportunities to direct questions about UFOs to Canadian politicians are rare. Few journalists will take it upon themselves to raise the UFO matter either because they are ignorant about or ambivalent towards the issue of unidentified flying objects. I remain convinced that there does not ‘appear’ to be any concerted effort on the part of the Canadian mainstream media to purposefully repress journalistic inquiries into UFOs – their reluctance – in my opinion – is based on a combination of ignorance and ambivalence.”
Viggiani has been studying the UFO phenomenon and Canada’s role in Ufology for the last 35-years. He says it’s extremely rare to have a sitting Member of Parliament to even broach the subject or have one of their political aides reach out to anyone in the UFO field. This is a story, Viggiani states, that should have the mainstream media asking some pointed questions, “It should be recognized that both CBC and Global News have indeed covered the UFO issue but neither has challenged the geo-political implications of UFOs and their off-world origins with politicians. I have been interviewed by Global TV News about NORAD’s UFO connections. In addition, CBC’s THE CURRENT – on my suggestion to them – carried a 38 minute segment on US Navy pilot encounters with UFOs. Given this unprecedented category of coverage in Canadian MSM – there has been no follow-up or broader questions to MPs about why Global TV News and Canada’s national broadcaster – the CBC – chose to cover the UFO matter quite specifically in this way. Never been done before…. Firsts like this seem to go unrecognized.”
Viggiani stated politically speaking, it’s time for the Canadian government and its Members of Parliament to step up to the plate and start asking some questions from the Ministry of Defense and the Canadian military as well. “The UFO issue has been discussed, analysed, investigated and sequestered at the highest levels of governance on the planet… the time for the Canadian government and the Canadian media to step forward on this issue has arrived. If the Canadian MP in question has the courage to address the UFO issue on the floor of the House of Commons – and given the Canadian government’s historical involvement in the UFO matter – he or she must demand a Parliamentary Inquiry or Royal Commission on UFOs.”
Looking at the news he was able to bring forward, Banias believes more questions need to be asked of Canadian Members of Parliament about how much they know about the subject, because he believes there could be an accidental ignorance with many MPs who are not up to date on the UFO subject. “I think that there is significant sociological interest in the UFO topic. In my book, “The UFO People: A Curious Culture,” they explore the cultural implications that would occur if humanity came face to face with another intelligence that was superior. Canada, being an ally of the United States and a NATO member, ought to be more involved in looking into UFO events. Whether the technology is advanced foreign weapons platforms or something much more extraordinary, Canada does have a role to play. Moreover, the Canadian people are interested in this topic and do want answers.”
Now we look and see if the mainstream media in Canada follows suit to ask who in Ottawa in the House of Commons is looking for UFOs.
