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Was Saskatchewan's 2015 UFO Surge Really a Flap?

Saskatchewan logged 37 reports in 2015, but their wide geographic spread and varied descriptions weaken the case for a coordinated sighting wave.

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On this page

  • Where the 2015 reports were concentrated
  • Why dispersed sightings do not form one event
  • What evidence would have confirmed a genuine wave
Preview for Was Saskatchewan's 2015 UFO Surge Really a Flap?

Introduction

Saskatchewan recorded 37 reported UFO sightings during 2015, making it one of the province’s busiest modern reporting years. At first glance, that increase might appear to indicate a classic UFO “flap” – a concentrated wave of related sightings. However, the available evidence points in a different direction. Rather than documenting one coherent event, the 2015 reports were spread across widely separated communities, involved very different descriptions, and lacked the common features that investigators normally expect from a genuine sighting wave.[Global News]globalnews.caGlobal News UFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caGlobal NewsUFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caApril 13, 2016…Published: April 13, 2016

2015 Spike illustration 1

The distinction matters because annual report totals measure how many sightings were submitted, not whether those sightings were connected. In Saskatchewan’s case, the 2015 increase is best understood as a statistical rise in reporting rather than evidence of a province-wide phenomenon affecting multiple independent witnesses.

Where the 2015 reports were concentrated

The Canadian UFO Survey recorded 37 Saskatchewan reports for 2015. Most originated from the province’s two largest population centres, Regina and Saskatoon, while additional reports came from places including Prince Albert, Star City, Mossbank, Weyburn, Gravelbourg, Elfros and Silton near Regina Beach.[Global News]globalnews.caGlobal News UFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caGlobal NewsUFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caApril 13, 2016…Published: April 13, 2016

That distribution is important for interpreting the year’s significance.

Instead of a single geographical hotspot, reports appeared across hundreds of kilometres of southern and central Saskatchewan. Communities that submitted reports were often separated by long travel distances and had no obvious operational connection through aviation, military activity or weather events. The pattern resembles what would normally be expected when a larger number of people independently report unrelated observations over an entire year.

The individual reports also varied considerably. Examples highlighted by investigators included:

  • a bright light with a boomerang-shaped light seen near Elfros in January;
  • a bright light over Saskatoon in March that reportedly accelerated upwards;
  • a long oval-shaped object reported near Weyburn in July;
  • a hovering red light reported near Silton in September.[Global News]globalnews.caGlobal News UFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caGlobal NewsUFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caApril 13, 2016…Published: April 13, 2016

These descriptions differ in colour, shape, movement, season and location. They do not describe one recurring object or a sequence of closely related encounters.

Edwin Fuhr and the 1974 Langenburg, Saskatchewan UFO Event

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Why dispersed sightings do not form one event

Researchers generally reserve the term “flap” for a concentrated series of related reports rather than a busy reporting year.

Several characteristics commonly associated with a genuine flap were absent from Saskatchewan’s 2015 increase.

No clear geographical focus. Reports were distributed across multiple cities and rural communities rather than clustering around one locality or corridor.

No tight time window. The reports occurred throughout the calendar year instead of building rapidly over several days or weeks.

No consistent object description. Witnesses described lights, oval objects and other varied appearances rather than repeatedly reporting the same distinctive shape or behaviour.

No documented chain of corroboration. Publicly available records do not show multiple independent witnesses describing the same object from different locations, nor is there evidence of supporting radar data, air traffic observations or coordinated police investigations linking the cases together.

Each of these points weakens the argument that Saskatchewan experienced one province-wide event. Instead, the evidence is more consistent with unrelated observations being collected into a single annual total.

2015 Spike illustration 2

Why a higher total does not necessarily mean more unexplained phenomena

The Canadian UFO Survey has long emphasised that a report enters the database because the witness could not identify what they saw at the time, not because investigators concluded it represented something extraordinary. Reports are gathered from multiple sources, including investigators, media coverage, online submissions and other reporting channels, with varying levels of detail and reliability.[canadianuforeport.com]canadianuforeport.com/……………… \ =====…

This distinction becomes especially important during years with elevated reporting.

An increase in submissions may reflect factors such as:

  • easier online reporting;
  • greater public awareness;
  • more media coverage encouraging witnesses to come forward;
  • more people spending time observing the night sky;
  • improvements in collecting reports from multiple organisations.

The survey itself has repeatedly discussed these possibilities while stressing that increased reporting alone does not demonstrate an increase in unexplained aerial phenomena.[canadianuforeport.com]canadianuforeport.com/……………… \ =====…

National context also helps explain Saskatchewan’s figures. Canada recorded 1,267 UFO reports in 2015, the second-highest annual total in the survey’s history at that time. Saskatchewan’s increase therefore occurred alongside a broader rise in reporting across several provinces rather than as an isolated provincial anomaly.[canadianuforeport.com]canadianuforeport.com/……………… \ =====…

UFO sightings rising in Canada

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What evidence would have confirmed a genuine wave?

Had Saskatchewan experienced a true provincial flap during 2015, investigators would expect to find several reinforcing lines of evidence rather than simply a larger annual count.

Examples would include:

  • numerous reports within the same few days or weeks;
  • repeated descriptions of an object with similar appearance and behaviour;
  • independent witnesses observing the same event from different locations;
  • supporting records from aviation authorities, pilots, police or radar systems;
  • photographs or videos that could be linked to the same incident;
  • a clear geographical progression suggesting one continuing event.

None of these elements emerges clearly from the published record for Saskatchewan in 2015. Instead, the year’s reports remain a collection of separate incidents with different characteristics and varying evidential strength.

2015 Spike illustration 3

Why the distinction matters for Saskatchewan’s UFO history

Calling 2015 a “flap” risks overstating what the evidence actually shows. Saskatchewan certainly experienced one of its stronger reporting years, and the increase deserves attention because it reflects sustained public reporting across the province. Yet the available data support a more cautious conclusion.

The 37 reports demonstrate that many people submitted observations during 2015, but they do not establish a single coordinated wave of unusual aerial events. Within Saskatchewan’s broader history of UFO reports, the year is therefore better understood as a reporting spike than as a documented province-wide flap. That interpretation remains consistent with the Canadian UFO Survey’s published data and with the absence of corroborating evidence linking the individual sightings into one coherent episode.[Global News]globalnews.caGlobal News UFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caGlobal NewsUFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caApril 13, 2016…Published: April 13, 2016

Reviewing the 2023 Canadian UFO Survey (with Chris Rutkowski)

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Endnotes

1. Source: canadianuforeport.com
Link:https://www.canadianuforeport.com/survey/essay/2015essay.pdf

Source snippet

/.................. \ =====...

2. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Title: ca Management of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Canada
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/management-public-reporting-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-canada

Source snippet

of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in CanadaJune 1, 2025 — MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC REPORTING OF UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOM...

Published: June 1, 2025

3. Source: canadianuforeport.com
Title: The Canadian UFO Survey
Link:https://www.canadianuforeport.com/survey/tables.html

Source snippet

March 29, 2021 — CANADIAN UFO SURVEY Home Survey Essay Search the Database Data Tables Charts Testimonies Report a Sighting Email iframe...

Published: March 29, 2021

4. Source: canadianuforeport.ca
Title: ANNUA L SURVEYSJUST RELEASED
Link:https://canadianuforeport.ca/annual-surveys

5. Source: canadianuforeport.ca
Title: survey data
Link:https://canadianuforeport.ca/survey-data

6. Source: canadianuforeport.com
Link:https://www.canadianuforeport.com/survey/charts.html

7. Source: canadianuforeport.com
Link:https://www.canadianuforeport.com/survey/essays.html

8. Source: canadianuforeport.com
Link:https://www.canadianuforeport.com/charts.html

9. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: Global News UFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.ca
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/2636162/ufo-sightings-up-in-saskatchewan/

Source snippet

Global NewsUFO sightings up in Saskatchewan | Globalnews.caApril 13, 2016...

Published: April 13, 2016

10. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: survey says 1267 ufos sighted in canada in 2015 quebec leads way
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/2632498/survey-says-1267-ufos-sighted-in-canada-in-2015-quebec-leads-way/

Source snippet

Global NewsSurvey says 1,267 UFOs sighted in Canada in 2015, Quebec leads way | Globalnews.ca...

11. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: Reports of UFO sightings in Canada jumped last year
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/11723579/ufo-sightings-in-canada-2025/

Source snippet

What’s going on? - National | Globalnews.caMarch 10, 2026 — REPORTS OF UFO SIGHTINGS IN CANADA JUMPED LAST YEAR. WHAT’S GOING ON? Image B...

Published: March 10, 2026

12. Source: globalnews.ca
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/3347979/winnipeg-based-ufology-research-releases-annual-report-on-canadian-ufo-sightings/

Source snippet

March 31, 2017 — Winnipeg-based Ufology Research releases annual report on Canadian UFO sightings Leave a comment Share this item on Face...

Published: March 31, 2017

13. Source: anyflip.com
Title: UF O Survey
Link:https://anyflip.com/oxpi/akvg/basic

Source snippet

UFO Survey - canadianuforeport.com - Flip eBook Pages 1-24 | AnyFlipOctober 8, 2016 — 2015 CANADIAN UFO SURVEY 5 THE 2015 CANADIAN UFO SU...

Published: October 8, 2016

14. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: UF O sightings up in Saskatchewan | Watch News Videos Online
Link:https://globalnews.ca/video/2635473/ufo-sightings-up-in-saskatchewan/amp/

15. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: UF O sightings up in Saskatchewan | Watch News Videos Online
Link:https://globalnews.ca/video/2635473/ufo-sightings-up-in-saskatchewan/spa/aggregate

16. Source: globalnews.ca
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/2632498/survey-says-1267-ufos-sighted-in-canada-in-2015-quebec-leads-way/amp/

17. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: New report compiles 25 years of UFO sightings in Canada | Globalnews.ca
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/1510508/new-report-compiles-25-years-of-ufo-sightings-in-canada/

18. Source: globalnews.ca
Title: About 1,100 UFOs spotted in Canada last year, survey says
Link:https://globalnews.ca/news/1202634/about-1100-ufos-spotted-last-year-survey/

Additional References

19. Source: science.gc.ca
Link:https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/preview-sky-canada-report-ocsa

Source snippet

January 15, 2025 — PREVIEW: SKY CANADA REPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENCE ADVISOR OF CANADA Management of public reporting of Un...

Published: January 15, 2025

20. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6rbaLXf8rQ

Source snippet

Unexplained phenomena in small town Saskatchewan 50 years ago: were there UFOs seen in [Langenburg]({{ 'langenburg/' | relative_url }})?...

21. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIi9fCJ2Q3A

Source snippet

Edwin Fuhr and the 1974 Langenburg, Saskatchewan UFO Event...

22. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK-mqAUdQ7Q

Source snippet

Reviewing the 2023 Canadian UFO Survey (with Chris Rutkowski)...

23. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaS94Z2IZG4

24. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO sightings rising in Canada
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF26dbtFwKc

Source snippet

The 2025 Canadian UFO Survey (with Chris Rutkowski)...

25. Source: toronto.citynews.ca
Title: ca Annual survey says Quebec leads the country in sightings of UFOs
Link:https://toronto.citynews.ca/2016/04/12/annual-survey-says-quebec-leads-the-country-in-sightings-of-ufos/

26. Source: e-know.ca
Title: 10 UFO sightings in Kootenays last year
Link:https://www.e-know.ca/news/10-ufo-sightings-in-kootenays-last-year/