News Release: May 13, 2013
The 2012 Canadian UFO Survey: Summary of Results
A study of UFO sightings reported by Canadians in 2012 has found a surprising sharp increase in the numbers of reports since the previous year.
• There were 1981 UFO sightings reported in Canada in 2012, or about five each day. This is more than twice the number of reports in 2011, when 986 reports were recorded. This represents literally a 100 per cent increase in the number of UFO reports between 2011 and 2012. The number of cases in 2012 completely eclipses the previous record for the highest number of reports in one year, when 1,004 reports were received in 2008.
• In 2012, there were record numbers of UFOs reported in all provinces except Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island. Ontario had more than 40 per cent of all Canadian UFO reports in 2012, far more than previous years.
• In 2012, about 7.5 per cent of all UFO reports were judged unexplained, compared with 11 per cent in 2011.
• The typical UFO sighting lasted approximately 15 minutes in 2012, and in most cases, sightings had two witnesses.
Data on Canadian UFO sightings came from many sources, including international UFO reporting websites, UFO organizations, civilian investigators, official sources such as Transport Canada and police, and witnesses’ own reports to Ufology Research.
This comprehensive study found that more than half of all UFO sightings were of simple lights in the sky. Witnesses also reported point sources of light, spheres and boomerangs. Although the largest percentage of reported UFOs is simply lights in the night sky, a small number are objects with definite shapes observed within the witnesses’ frame of reference.
Results of this study show that many people continue to report unusual objects in the sky, and some of these objects do not have obvious explanations. Many witnesses are pilots, police and other individuals with reasonably good observing capabilities and good judgement.
The sharp increase in UFO reports is curious. Explanations include: more UFOs are present and physically observable by witnesses; more secret or classified military exercises and overflights are occurring over populated areas; more people are unaware of the nature of conventional or natural objects in the sky; more people are taking the time to observe their surroundings; more people are able to report their sightings with easier access to the Internet and portable technology; or even that an unsettled economy or world stability is leading to an increased desire by some people to look skyward for assistance.
Popular opinion to the contrary, there is no incontrovertible evidence that some UFO cases involve extraterrestrial contact. The continued reporting of UFOs by the public and the yearly increase in numbers of UFO reports suggests a need for further examination of the phenomenon by social, medical and/or physical scientists.
Since 1989, Ufology Research (formerly Ufology Research of Manitoba) has solicited UFO case data from known and active investigators and researchers in Canada. The goal has been to provide data for use by researchers trying to understand this controversial phenomenon. No comparable studies are currently produced by any other research group in North America.
The complete 2012 Canadian UFO Survey can be viewed at:
http://survey.canadianuforeport.com
For further information, contact:
Ufology Research
e-mail: canadianuforeport@hotmail.com
Twitter: @ufologyresearch
blog: http://www.uforum.blogspot.com
