The Great White Unknown: UFO Sightings in 1990s Canada

If you think Canada is all maple syrup, politeness, and hockey, think again. The 1990s were a golden era of unexplained phenomena in the Great White North, with the skies lighting up like a cosmic light show and reports of unidentified flying objects coming in faster than a puck at a Stanley Cup final.

I’ve spent years investigating the paranormal, the demonic, and the extraterrestrial, and let me tell you—Canada in the '90s was a hotspot for UFO activity. Whether it was the infamous Carp case, the waves of strange lights over Manitoba, or the reports of crafts near military installations, the evidence was there. The real question is, why? And what (or who) was visiting?

The Carp Case: Canada’s Own Roswell?

One of the most compelling cases of the decade happened in Carp, Ontario, in 1991. Dubbed the "Guardian Case," this event included a video allegedly showing a triangular craft with bright lights descending into a field. The footage, grainy and bizarre, was sent anonymously to UFO researchers in a package marked with a red thumbprint and cryptic documents detailing a supposed government cover-up.

The video gained traction in UFO circles, appearing in TV specials and books. But as always, skeptics tried to debunk it, calling it a hoax. Here’s where I remind you—discrediting doesn’t mean debunking. Just because someone tries to explain something away doesn’t mean they’ve explained it. The real question is, why did this case gain so much attention, and why did so many people involved in its investigation report strange encounters afterward?

Falcon Lake: The 90s Reawakening of an Earlier Mystery

While the Falcon Lake incident technically happened in 1967, it saw a resurgence in the '90s when Canadian officials finally admitted they had no real explanation for what happened.

For those who don’t know, Stefan Michalak was prospecting near Falcon Lake, Manitoba, when he encountered a metallic, disc-shaped craft. It burned him—literally. His shirt was scorched, and he developed a bizarre grid-like pattern of burns on his chest, which lingered for weeks.

By the 1990s, this case was back in the news, with new attempts to analyze the evidence and fresh UFO sightings occurring in the same area. This brings up an intriguing possibility: Were they back? Was whatever (or whoever) visited in the '60s still monitoring Falcon Lake three decades later?

Shag Harbour: A Reinvestigation

Another legendary case from Canada’s UFO history re-emerged in the '90s: the Shag Harbour Incident of 1967. This one is particularly interesting because it involved the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, government officials, and an actual search-and-rescue operation.

A glowing object was seen crashing into the waters off Nova Scotia. Witnesses, including law enforcement, reported seeing lights floating on the surface before submerging. The Canadian military investigated but found nothing—at least, that’s what they claimed.

Fast-forward to the 1990s, when declassified documents and witness testimony started painting a different picture. Researchers uncovered accounts suggesting the object didn’t sink—it moved. And some believed there was an underwater recovery effort, with whispers of an extraterrestrial craft being retrieved under the cover of darkness.

The Canadian NORAD Connection

One of the biggest revelations of the 1990s was how frequently Canada and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) were tracking unidentified aerial phenomena. Canadian documents released during this time showed a pattern—strange objects were being detected over remote areas, near military bases, and even over major cities.

Was Canada quietly playing host to extraterrestrial visitors while the government turned a blind eye? Or worse—were they in on it?

Theories and Why the 90s Mattered

So, why was Canada so active in the UFO scene during the 1990s? Here are a few possibilities:

1. Cold War Fallout – The Cold War had just ended, and the military-industrial complex was shifting focus. Were they testing new tech disguised as UFOs? Or were extraterrestrials monitoring the post-Cold War world?
   
   

2. Increased Awareness – With shows like The X-Files dominating pop culture, more people were looking up. And you know what happens when you start paying attention—you see things you weren’t supposed to.
   
   

3. A Real Uptick in Activity – The simplest explanation is often the most unsettling: More sightings meant more UFOs. Something was in the skies, and people were finally taking it seriously.
   

Final Thoughts from Jax Ember

Canada is a vast land of mystery, where the northern lights dance above frozen lakes, and legends of cryptids and ghosts abound. It only makes sense that extraterrestrials would find it just as fascinating as we do.

The 1990s gave us a treasure trove of sightings, investigations, and yes—government obfuscation. But for those of us who know better, who’ve felt the weight of an unexplainable presence or seen something in the sky that defied logic, we don’t need a government stamp of approval to confirm what we already suspect.

They were here. Maybe they still are.

Keep your eyes on the skies.

About the Author

Jax Ember is a demonologist, medium, and extraterrestrial investigator, specializing in the unexplained. He doesn’t just research the paranormal—he’s lived it. Follow Jax for deep dives into the supernatural, extraterrestrial, and everything in between.