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Was the Mc Leese Lake UFO Inspecting Power Lines?

The McLeese Lake witnesses likely saw an unusual light, but the idea that it inspected power lines rests on alignment rather than measured effects.

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On this page

  • What residents reported on 26 August 1967
  • Why the power line link seemed persuasive
  • What the absence of electrical effects means
Preview for Was the Mc Leese Lake UFO Inspecting Power Lines?

Introduction

The McLeese Lake sighting of 26 August 1967 is one of the better-known episodes from British Columbia’s late-1960s UFO wave because it combined multiple witnesses with an unusual setting: a glowing red object apparently travelling above newly installed transmission lines. The event is frequently retold as a case in which a UFO was “inspecting” power lines. However, the available evidence supports a more cautious conclusion. Witnesses consistently described an unusual light, but the idea that it was deliberately examining the electrical system rests on interpretation rather than demonstrable physical evidence. The absence of power disruptions, measurable electrical effects or any independent confirmation means the “inspection” claim remains speculative rather than established.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

Mc Leese Lake illustration 1

What residents reported on 26 August 1967

According to contemporary accounts later reproduced by British Columbia UFO archives, the incident began at around 10 p.m. on a warm, still evening. At least a dozen residents reportedly watched a glowing, pulsating red object approach from the south and move slowly along the route of newly erected transmission cables associated with the future Peace River hydroelectric development. Because the lines crossed a ridge east of McLeese Lake, observers had an unusually clear view for several minutes.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

Witness descriptions shared several broad features:

  • The object appeared as an intense red light that brightened and dimmed rhythmically.
  • It travelled slowly enough for multiple people to observe it over roughly three to four minutes.
  • No engine noise or other sound was heard, despite one witness deliberately listening after switching off a washing machine.
  • One observer thought there was a darker area beneath the light, while another, using binoculars, described a greenish feature near its centre rather than underneath it.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

The differing visual details are not unusual in multiple-witness cases involving distant lights. They neither confirm nor disprove the event but illustrate how observers can agree on the main phenomenon while disagreeing about finer features.

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The suggestion that the object was inspecting the transmission system emerged because witnesses repeatedly remarked that it appeared to remain directly above the line of the cables.

One witness recalled that the object “stayed right over those lines as if it was studying them”, wording that later writers often treated almost as a factual description rather than an impression. This interpretation became especially influential because the sighting occurred during a period when new high-voltage infrastructure was transforming the Cariboo region, making the transmission route a striking landmark against the night sky.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

Several factors helped the inspection narrative gain traction:

  • A clear visual reference. Transmission lines running along an exposed ridge created an obvious line against which movement could be judged.
  • A prolonged observation. Unlike a brief flash, the object remained visible for several minutes, encouraging witnesses to interpret its behaviour.
  • The broader 1967 wave. Similar reports elsewhere in British Columbia led investigators to look for patterns, increasing the appeal of interpreting the object’s apparent path as purposeful rather than coincidental.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

Importantly, the witnesses reported what they saw—a light apparently following the cables. The further claim that it was deliberately examining the infrastructure is an inference rather than an observation.

Mc Leese Lake illustration 2

What the absence of electrical effects means

The strongest argument against the inspection claim is the lack of supporting physical evidence.

Accounts consistently note that the transmission line was newly installed and not yet carrying electricity. If that is correct, there could have been no interaction with an energised high-voltage system because none existed at the time. Later writers sometimes argued that the object must therefore have been interested in the physical structure itself, but this simply replaces one assumption with another rather than adding evidence.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

Equally significant is what was not reported:

  • no power failures;
  • no voltage fluctuations;
  • no damaged equipment;
  • no burned vegetation or other physical traces;
  • no independently documented electromagnetic disturbances.[ufobc.ca]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

Studies of alleged UFO-related electrical effects have generally concluded that convincing, well-documented physical correlations are rare. Investigations such as those discussed in the Condon Report found no reliable body of evidence linking unidentified aerial phenomena with electrical transmission failures or persistent electromagnetic effects.[UFO Transparency]ufotransparency.comdecade 1960s condon report 1968 ad0680975UFO TransparencyThe Condon Report (DTIC AD0680975), University of Colorado / U.S. Air Force (sponsor) · 1969 · UFO Transparency…

For McLeese Lake, this absence is especially important because the inspection hypothesis depends almost entirely on the object’s apparent alignment with the cables.

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How later reporting changed the story

Most detailed modern retellings ultimately derive from a relatively small number of UFO publications and later compilations rather than from extensive contemporary official investigations. John Magor’s influential history of the 1967 British Columbia wave preserved valuable witness testimony, but it also interpreted many incidents through an extraterrestrial framework. As a result, descriptive observations and speculative explanations sometimes became closely intertwined in later retellings.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

As the story circulated over subsequent decades, subtle changes occurred:

  • the reported movement along the cables became an apparent deliberate inspection;
  • witness impressions were increasingly presented as objective behaviour;
  • the lack of electrical effects received less emphasis than the striking image of a glowing object following power lines.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

This illustrates a common pattern in historical UFO cases: memorable interpretations often become more prominent than the original observational record.

Mc Leese Lake illustration 3

Why the case still matters

The McLeese Lake sighting remains historically significant within British Columbia’s late-1960s UFO wave because it involved multiple witnesses observing an unusual light for several minutes under conditions that allowed detailed descriptions. It is therefore stronger than many single-observer reports in terms of witness numbers.

However, the specific claim that the object was inspecting power lines is considerably weaker than the underlying sighting itself. The evidence demonstrates that witnesses believed the light tracked the transmission route, but it does not demonstrate intent, interaction with the infrastructure or any measurable physical effect. The distinction is important. The event remains an unresolved observation of an unusual aerial light, while the “power-line inspection” interpretation remains an unverified explanation built upon perceived alignment rather than independent evidence.[UFO BC]ufobc.ca1967invasion v2UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969…Published: November 7, 1969

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Endnotes

1. Source: ufobc.ca
Title: UFO BCThe Musgrave Files
Link:https://ufobc.ca/Reports/MusgraveFiles/musgraveindex.html

2. Source: files.ncas.org
Title: Condon Report Section III, Chapter 4: Indirect Physical Evidence
Link:https://files.ncas.org/condon/text/s3chap04.htm

3. Source: ufobc.ca
Title: 1967invasion v2
Link:https://www.ufobc.ca/History/1960/1967invasion_v2.htm

Source snippet

UFO BC1967 - The Year We Were InvadedNovember 7, 1969...

Published: November 7, 1969

4. Source: ufotransparency.com
Title: decade 1960s condon report 1968 ad0680975
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/decade-1960s-condon-report-1968-ad0680975

Source snippet

UFO TransparencyThe Condon Report (DTIC AD0680975), University of Colorado / U.S. Air Force (sponsor) · 1969 · UFO Transparency...

5. Source: ufobc.ca
Title: UF O SIGHTING REPORTS
Link:https://www.ufobc.ca/Sightings/sightspre95_v2.htm

6. Source: ufobc.ca
Title: Hist Reports Index
Link:https://www.ufobc.ca/History/index_v2.htm

7. Source: ufobc.ca
Title: Copper Coloured UFO on the road between Lillooet and Lytton, BC
Link:https://www.ufobc.ca/History/1960/Version1%20saved/coppercolouredufo.htm

Additional References

8. Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Link:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A66107Dollands_Moor_to_Scunthorpe_0E26_light_engine_due_to_overhead_power_cable_damage_in_the_Channel_tunnel%2814584648016%29.jpg

Source snippet

wikimedia.orgFile:66107 Dollands Moor to Scunthorpe 0E26 light engine due to overhead power cable damage in the Channel tunnel (145846480...

9. Source: www2.gov.bc.ca
Title: We do not guarantee that every reserve is listed. Las
Link:https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/mineral-exploration-mining/mineral-titles/reserves/regulations-maps/1967-reserves

Source snippet

gov.bc.ca1967 Reserves - Province of British ColumbiaMay 20, 2014 — 1967 RESERVES Image Last updated on August 16, 2023 Please Note: The...

Published: May 20, 2014

10. Source: the-v-factor-paranormal.blogspot.com
Title: Out of those, UFO researchers s
Link:https://the-v-factor-paranormal.blogspot.com/2009/10/year-of-ufo-invasion.html?m=0

Source snippet

The Vike Factor: Year Of The UFO InvasionOctober 17, 2009 — SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2009 YEAR OF THE UFO INVASION By Angie Mindus The Willi...

Published: October 17, 2009

11. Source: uforum.blogspot.com
Title: 1967 year ufos invaded canada part 2
Link:https://uforum.blogspot.com/2017/04/1967-year-ufos-invaded-canada-part-2.html

Source snippet

(Beauford Sea) - Officials at Cape Perry Distant Early Warning radar site saw a large, translucent spherical object moving so slo...

12. Source: nature.com
Link:https://www.nature.com/news/2006/060508/full/news060508-6.html

Source snippet

UFO mind-melting in government report: Nature NewsMay 9, 2006 — Published online 9 May 2006 (2006-05-09T04:00:00Z) | Nature | doi:10.103...

Published: May 9, 2006

13. Source: nicap.org
Link:https://nicap.org/papers/effectsposition.htm

14. Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/192717159/Final-Report-of-the-Scientific-Study-of-Unidentified-Flying-Objects

15. Source: uaprad.org
Link:https://uaprad.org/cases/malmstrom-afb-missile-incident-1967/

16. Source: hitachienergy.com
Link:https://www.hitachienergy.com/africa/en/about-us/customer-success-stories/reference-mcleese

17. Source: gutenberg.org
Link:https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12375/pg12375-images.html