Ontario UFO Sightings Pre -1940’s
Brockville ON 1915
The so called Phantom Invasion of 1915 is among the best documented of Canadian UFO sightings. This invasion of Canadian air space by a fleet of unidentified flying objects was studied in detail by Mr. X, a researcher
based in Kingston, who published his findings in the article "The Phantom Invasion of 1915" in early Canadian Life, May 1979.
On the night of February 14th, about 9:15 PM, many of the citizens of Brockville
were startled to see the lights of an aircraft crossing high over the St. Lawrence River and moving in the direction of Ottawa. The lights were seen by the Mayor and three of the city constables. The first of the unidentified
aircraft flying rapidly over head gave off the "unmistakable sounds of the whirling motor." About five minutes later, a second flying machine was heard. As it crossed the St. Lawrence from the direction of Morristown,
New York, three balls of fire were seen to drop into the river. It was thought these might be bombs that landed harmlessly, but it was also remarked that they could have been flares used by mysterious aviators to find their way
in the dark. A few minutes later, another machine passed over the east end of Brockville, and soon after, another was crossing over the west end of Brockville.
Brockville Mayor Donaldson was one of many witnesses who saw
"the mysterious invaders." The Mayor of Gananoque reported that two aircraft had been heard quite distinctly passing over his city, south west of Brockville, but had not been seen. "Soon after, Mayor Donaldson
telephoned the Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Robert Borden, to advise him that unidentified aircraft were seen crossing over Brockville from across the St. Lawrence in the direction of Ottawa. Borden notified the Chief of Staff
and the Militia and suggested the Commissioner of the Dominion Police be notified."
The Chief of the Dominion Police, fearing the lights of Parliament Hill would shine worth like a beacon in the night for the daring
aerial invaders, ordered the lights extinguished. "Blinds were ordered drawn, and life in the capital continued in an eerie darkness which marked the first blackout and air raid in Canada's history. Marksmen were
dispatched to the roofs of government buildings and given orders to shoot down any aircraft approaching the city. The invaders were to be met with force." The invasion never took place. Soon there came an unexpected
explanation for the phantom invasion.
Word came out of Morristown, Ogdensburg, and Syracuse that the panic in Ottawa was the result of a prank by a few jokers in Morristown. It was said that three fire balloons with fire
works attached were sent aloft from Morristown in celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the end of the War of 1812. The fireworks created the impression of aircraft lights and engines, falling balls of fire, and the
powerful searchlight witnessed in Brockville. At first, Ottawa refused to believe this. Even the Dominion Observatory went so far as to explain that this was untenable since the prevailing winds were from the east and would not
have carried the balloons in the northeasterly direction. However, the militia and police authorities in Ottawa contacted their American counterparts to investigate this story.
On the morning of February 15th, Constable
Storey of the Brockville Police Department found a paper balloon near Eastern Hospital, and soon afterwards a second paper balloon was found in eastern Brockville along the river. This news spread quickly across the telegraph
lines so that the afternoon newspapers were able to laugh most loudly at how the morning newspapers and the politicians had been taken in by a few pranksters with toy balloons. Officialdom was reluctant to admit it had been the
victim of a hoax.
As Mr. X noted, "Ottawa finally laughed off the 'scaeroplanes' as a case of war nerves on the part of Brockville's citizenry." However, strange aerial sights were being reported elsewhere.
That same evening, residents of Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, reported to the police that a strange "airplane" was hovering over their homes. A resident of Guelph saw "these moving lights passing over the
agricultural college." He called out to others and they too watched the spectacle. This occurred at a time when night flying, at least in Eastern Canada, was something of a rarity. "Were these phantom aircraft the
result of hysteria and war nerves, or were they an unusual phenomenon which today would be classified as a UFO ?"
Thank you to our good friend Brian Vike of HBCC UFO Research
Cornwall ON September 1845 Possible UFO Landing?
One September evening near Cornwall, Ontario, a farmer notices brilliant dancing
lights surrounding Marsh Point Farm. Soon more and more people witness the spectacular lights accompanied by strange sounds of clanging and explosion. Befuddled neighbours decide to keep an overnight watch but fail to solve the
mystery. After a year, the bizarre manifestations slowly disappear without a trace. Despite interviewing numerous witnesses and scientists, no credible explanation is ever offered for the strange activities at Marsh Point Farm.
First covered by the CBC's Rex Lambert in a radio broadcast on Aug. 24, 1962
Our thanks to Dawn for providing a lead for this story.
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