The Canadian government may take a long time to fully engage with the subject of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) within Parliament. However, Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, and her team have taken a significant first step by releasing the long-awaited Sky Canada Project recommendation report.
The Sky Canada Project is an initiative examining UAP in Canada. The goal is to create a structured approach to researching, managing, and trying to identify UAP within Canadian airspaces while enhancing transparency between civilians and the government.
However, the project’s mandate is strictly limited to identifying and reporting aerial phenomena. It explicitly states that it will not investigate extraterrestrial life or personal experiences reported by Canadians.
A disclaimer on the project’s webpage clarifies: “It should be noted that the Sky Canada Project is not intended to access and collect first-hand data (like photos, testimonies, etc.), nor is it intended to make the Office of the Chief Science Advisor (OCSA) the main point of contact for Canadians wishing to report observations or personal experiences.”
“Furthermore, it is not meant to prove or disprove the existence of extraterrestrial life or extraterrestrial visitors,” it adds.
The Sky Canada Project recommendation report, released on January 15, suggests the Canadian government establish a dedicated federal body to collect, analyze, and publicly share UAP data. This would improve coordination among government agencies and encourage professionals like pilots and air traffic controllers to report UAP sightings without fear of stigma.
Currently, Canada does not have a centralized system to document, record, or research UAPs. Still, the report suggests that the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will take on this task. Canada’s Chief Science Advisor also advocates developing apps and other digital tools to facilitate reporting and address misinformation around UAPs.
“Our mandate, in the Office of the Chief Science Advisor, is to provide advice to the government,” Luc Gauthier, Chief of Staff to the Office of the Chief Science Advisor, told The Debrief in an email. “Once our recommendations are delivered, it is up to the government to decide how and when to use them (all of them or just some of them). We have no control over the implementation step, but we remain available to offer support.”
The Sky Canada Project aims to establish a science-based, collaborative approach to UAP research to foster public trust and address national security concerns. A second report is scheduled for release later this year, after which Mona Nemer and her team will leave the matter in the hands of the federal government for implementation.
“Our goal was to find the current resources and processes in place for handling and following up on UAP reports, to compare them with the best practices in other countries, and to make recommendations for potential improvements,” Nemer explained to CTV freelance reporter Daniel Otis. “The preparation of this report has garnered more public anticipation than any project in the history of this office.”
Canadian UAP researcher and author Chris Rutkowski collected Canadian UAP reports from 1999 to 2022 after Transport Canada, the National Research Council, after which the RCMP decided to “get out of the UFO business,” Rutkowski said in a phone call with The Debrief.
“Transport Canada explained they had begun sending me UAP reports as a way to support my research into the subject,” Rutkowski said. “When the volume of Access To Information requests about UAP from the general public reached unmanageable levels within Transport Canada beginning in 2021 because of increased public interest following American political attention, already-stretched-thin staff had to shift priorities and focus more on other Transport Canada activities rather than continue supporting UAP issues.”
“As a consequence, the process of proving me with UAP case information was stopped,” Rutkowski said. In true Canadian fashion, Rutkowski preserved an archive of these reports for years and has publicly shared them throughout his career within books and other resources to ensuring transparency and access for all Canadians.
In recent days, Rutkowski has worked alongside the Sky Canada Project team to help preserve Canadian UAP history by keeping a stream of information flowing.
“The Sky Canada Project requested a meeting with me to discuss my research on UAP and to solicit my recommendations for a methodological approach to studying UAP,” notes Rutkowski. “I was one of the individuals listed as a consultant in the OCSA Preview Report when it was published in January 2025. I continue to be in conversation with members of the OCSA Sky Canada Project team.”
MP Larry Maguire Weighs In on the Sky Canada Project
Member of Parliament Larry Maguire, a UAP advocate for transparency in Canada since 2023, wrote an open letter claiming that the Canadian government possesses material related to UAP. This, in turn, caused an uptick of UAP interest within the government and across the country with Canadians.
In recent months, Maguire, alongside Benjamin Bruce Schofield from Winnipeg, Manitoba, released a new petition in November 2024 urging the Canadian government to establish a national UAP task force with standardized investigation protocols, promoting transparency, public trust, and international collaboration. The petition invited Canadians to sign before Jan 19.
Since the petition’s release, the Sky Canada Project has released its preliminary recommendation report. The Debrief recently spoke with MP Larry Maguire and asked his thoughts on the recent report and whether the government will act on the Sky Canada Report recommendations.
The Debrief: The Sky Canada Project report recommends creating a dedicated federal service to study UAPs. Do you believe the Canadian government will take action on this recommendation, and if so, what would the next steps look like?
MP Larry Maguire: I wish I could say I’m optimistic about the federal government acting on this recommendation. Given the overall lack of attention this issue has garnered by top ministers, I expect that more calls to action from the public and experts will be needed to keep the ball rolling. If I could urge even a small step forward, the report’s first recommendation to identify a lead is perhaps the most necessary. Given the ongoing Liberal leadership race, I strongly recommend that the media begin asking the candidates whether they plan to implement the recommendations, as the winner will ultimately become the next Prime Minister.
DB: Do you foresee any challenges in implementing a federally funded UAP research office in Canada, similar to AARO in the U.S.?
LM: The biggest challenge lies in getting Ministers to instruct their departments to implement the recommendations, as none of them will take action unless directed to do so.
DB: The Canadian Space Agency has stated that UAP research is not part of its mandate. If not CSA, which federal agency would be best suited to oversee a dedicated UAP office?
LM: Transport Canada would be the ideal department as they are already tasked with ensuring the safety, security, and efficiency of Canada’s air transportation system. They would need to have full buy-in from all other departments and agencies, particularly the Department of National Defense (DND).
DB: How do you think the Sky Canada Project’s recommendations could improve collaboration between Canada and its international partners, particularly the U.S. and France?
LM: As long as Canada lacks a dedicated lead for this issue, there is no one building and reinforcing relationships with our international partners. It’s a patchwork at best. The recommendations create the space for a go-to contact who would be empowered to pursue dialogue and enhance collaboration and cooperation between all interested parties. This is true both within the government and in terms of our international relationships.
DB: The report highlights a lack of coordination between Canadian agencies in handling UAP reports. What legislative or procedural changes would you propose to ensure standardized data collection and public transparency?
LM: My preference would have been for the Science Committee to conduct a study on the Sky Canada recommendations and then offer targeted recommendations to the government. We could have invited witnesses from other governments and organizations already engaged in this work, allowing us to conduct a thorough, in-depth review. Unfortunately, due to the Trudeau government’s decision to shut down Parliament, Members of Parliament are currently unable to take any action, including carrying out Committee work.
DB: Do you support the recommendation to make UAP data publicly available to enhance scientific study and public trust? What level of transparency should Canadians expect?
LM: Yes, I support that recommendation. There are so many unanswered questions around UAP and we need all hands on deck to analyze the data. When national security considerations may be triggered, any government will rightly need to be sensitive to that. But ideally we have an openness by default sort of situation.
DB: The report notes that UAP reports are only investigated if they pose a safety or security risk. Should Canada adopt a more proactive approach to UAP analysis, even when there is no immediate threat?
LM: It would be fantastic to see greater attention paid to reports even when there is no immediate safety or security risk. This is, again, about data collection and transparency. If we’re collecting this data – even if there’s nothing actionable at the moment – it can be shared with the public both for the purposes of analysis and to combat misinformation and disinformation that sometimes arises when there’s an information vacuum.
DB: Do you believe Canada’s current handling of UAPs adequately addresses potential national security concerns? How could it be improved?
LM: There is a significant lack of transparency regarding what our government does with UAP reports and the steps they take to investigate them. A prime example is how the Department of National Defence handled the information surrounding the object shot down by the Americans over the Yukon in 2023. As I’ve highlighted before, having a designated lead would make a world of difference. For the first time, we would have someone responsible for collecting data, investigating it, and, most importantly, sharing that information and their findings with the public.
DB: The report stresses the need to encourage pilots, air traffic controllers, and military personnel to report UAPs without fear of stigma. How can the government help normalize UAP reporting?
LM: We’ve talked about this before but it still holds true: Stigma has always played a role in limiting the advancement of important research on this topic. If those reporting UAP feel they will be dismissed or denigrated, they won’t do it. There needs to be a shift in mentality to take these reports seriously and then weigh them out with evidence as much as possible. One small suggestion would simply be to encourage UAP reporting in training programs for folks who work in relevant fields. But we also can’t put the cart before the horse – there needs to be a centralized system to collect and investigate these reports for them to be used.
DB: How can Canada combat misinformation and disinformation surrounding UAPs while maintaining transparency?
LM: I would argue, we combat misinformation and disinformation by embracing transparency.
DB: Given the growing global focus on UAPs, how do you see Canada’s role in shaping the future of UAP research and policy on the world stage?
LM: In the short term, a great starting point would be for the government to implement the recommendations from the Sky Canada Project. By putting our heads down and getting to work, I’m confident that our international partners will take notice. Looking ahead, it seems that establishing more robust relationships and channels for dialogue with others engaged in this work will be key. However, this process will take time, so it’s crucial to begin sooner rather than later. Additionally, we must be prepared to respond to and investigate any new information emerging from the Task Force being established in Congress. There are now several high-ranking U.S. officials who have long championed the declassification of relevant information, so it will be interesting to see if they follow through. If any information is declassified and alleged legacy UAP programs are confirmed, it raises an important question: what does our own government know, and have we received or shared UAP related information with our allies?
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.