The Sky Canada preview report

Recently, in mid-January 2025, the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada released a 16-page report titled "Management of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Canada: A Preview of the upcoming Sky Canada Report."

Sky-Canada-Preview-January-2025.pdf

Commencing with "A Message from the Chief Science Advisor of Canada,' where Mona Nemer, inter alia, writes:

"...this report focuses on the services available to the Canadian public for reporting UAPs, and not the UAPs themselves; understanding this distinction is critical to reading the report..."

The Sky Canada project team went about its business by gathering information from:

 "...federal departments and agencies, stakeholders, experts and other organizations, on how UAP observation reports by the public are handled in Canada."

Publicly available records, archives and historical practices were examined. "We reviewed he approaches taken by a few other countries, mostly G7 nations and members of the Five Eyes." Additionally, a company named Earnscliffe Strategies conducting an online survey of Canadians re their views on UAP.

Key findings

1. Canadian federal departments and agencies do receive UAP reports, with few investigating the nature of the sightings unless their specific mission has hem do so, e.g. Transport Canada for aviation incidents. 

2. The project identified a number of "gaps."

a. Lack of a cohesive and standardised systems for reporting and follow up.

b. Absence of public engagement.

c. Limited analysis of UAP reports.

d. Insufficient scientific involvement.

e. Modest efforts to enhance scientific literacy involving planetary sciences.

3. The project examined the management of UAP reports in the USA, France and Chile.

Recommendations

Reports and data oversight

1. "...identify a lead: A Federal Government department of agency responsible for managing public UAP data, should be identified...The Canadian Space Agency could be considered for such a role."

2. "Establish a dedicated service...collect testimony, investigate cases and post its analysis publicly."

3. "Enhance reporting capacity in civil aviation." Transport Canada should encourage members of the aviation community to report sightings. 

Communications

4. "Support public dialogue" via a proactive strategy, using such services as public libraries, science centres and museums.

5. "Promote intra-government collaboration" via an internal directive.

6. "Improve media relations."

7. "Promote application of up-to-date evidence to effectively address misinformation and disinformation."

Research

8. "Facilitate open access and open data."

9. "Conduct surveys" to gauge the perception of the Canadian public about UAP.

10. Provide tools for data collection" via smartphone apps and interactive platforms.

11. "Build on Canada's strengths in astronomy and aerospace research."

12. "Information sharing with international entities."

13. "Cooperation in research and communications" with international partners.

Conclusion

"A more structured approach would enhance transparency and combat disinformation...position Canada alongside some of its allies as leaders in the global efforts to elucidate the nature of UAPs...potentially reveal valuable insight into aerial phenomena that are currently unexplained."