CBC Archives

You must sign in to leave a comment on this clip.

Canada's famous UFO encounter

Broadcast Date: Feb. 21, 1983

"It's one of the most credible cases on file," Edward Barker of Ufology Research of Manitoba tells CBC host Harry Brown.
On May 20, 1967, Stephen Michalak is prospecting near Falcon Lake, Man., when he spots two glowing objects hovering ahead of him. One takes off and the other lands just 150 feet away.

According to Michalak, the silver craft is 35 feet in diameter and brilliantly lit. He's close enough to touch the object when it suddenly lifts off, knocking him flat on his back. Following the encounter, Michalak becomes very sick. Over the next few weeks, he suffers from severe headaches, nausea, weight loss, blackouts, and diarrhea – symptoms pointing to a radiation burn. But doctors can't find anything wrong.

Nine months later he collapses and finds burn marks in a series of dots on his chest. Michalak's doctor sends him to the Mayo Clinic for tests. Weeks later when Michalak's doctor tries to find out the results of the examination, the Mayo Clinic claims they have no such person on file. What makes the Michalak case so compelling, says Barker, is the detail and the documentation he has to back up his experience.

Despite being scrutinized by countless doctors, reputable scientists, the RCMP, Royal Canadian Air Force, the Federal Department of Health and Welfare, and the Manitoba Department of Health and Welfare, no one has been able to prove or disprove Michalak's extraordinary encounter. The Falcon Lake sighting remains one of the most credible cases in the world and is accepted as genuine by most UFO groups and investigators.

Canada's famous UFO encounter

• Michalak made no money from his fantastic encounter. He published a small booklet detailing his experience but it failed to make a profit. He paid for all of his medical expenses but has never received any explanation for his symptoms.

• One of the most famous claims of an alien abduction occurred in October 1957 in Brazil. A farmer was allegedly taken aboard a spacecraft where a beautiful female alien with large slanted eyes, grey skin and high cheekbones had intercourse with him. His case gained notoriety due to the salacious nature of his abduction but also because of the consistency and clarity of his story.

Canada's famous UFO encounter

Medium: Television

Program: Take 30

Broadcast Date: Feb. 21, 1983

Guest(s): Edward Barker

Host: Harry Brown

Duration: 3:20

Last updated:
March 14, 2008