What do you think?
Canada's UFO Secrets: Disclosing Government Files on What Is Happening in Our Skies
How does the Canadian government handle information about UFOs? Veteran researcher Chris A. Rutkowski reveals all.
Polls show that millions of Canadians believe they’ve seen a UFO. Are these strange phenomena alien visitors? Meteors? Advanced foreign technology?
Chris A. Rutkowski has been researching Canadian UFO reports since the 1970s and has gained an unparalleled understanding of how they are handled by government agencies. While the Canadian government and military have taken these reports very seriously, they have been unsure of how to manage them and have looked to Rutkowski and other Canadian researchers for advice.
With increasing public interest and recent calls for a federal agency to manage reports, it’s clear that UFO sightings matter more than they ever have before, and Canadian researchers have become integral to international UFO studies.
In Canada’s UFO Secrets, Rutkowski reflects on decades of investigation, tracing the development of Canadian UFO policy and detailing remarkable sightings, including cases never before revealed to the public.
Polls show that millions of Canadians believe they’ve seen a UFO. Are these strange phenomena alien visitors? Meteors? Advanced foreign technology?
Chris A. Rutkowski has been researching Canadian UFO reports since the 1970s and has gained an unparalleled understanding of how they are handled by government agencies. While the Canadian government and military have taken these reports very seriously, they have been unsure of how to manage them and have looked to Rutkowski and other Canadian researchers for advice.
With increasing public interest and recent calls for a federal agency to manage reports, it’s clear that UFO sightings matter more than they ever have before, and Canadian researchers have become integral to international UFO studies.
In Canada’s UFO Secrets, Rutkowski reflects on decades of investigation, tracing the development of Canadian UFO policy and detailing remarkable sightings, including cases never before revealed to the public.
- GenresNonfictionCanadaHistory
256 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 25, 2026
This was really interesting. "Canada's go-to guy for UFOs" takes us through Canada's documented history of UFO sightings, offering rational explanations when applicable. I was particularly interested in reading this to see what he had to say about the 2023 "Chinese balloon" incidents and the weird "drone wave" of 2024. Those are in here, and also so many more incidents I didn't know about.
Whether it's aliens or not isn't really the question. The question is, even (or especially) if there's a more earthly explanation, is Canada taking these sightings seriously enough?
The only thing that bugged me about this book was that Rutkowski would often refer to an incident and say he'd already talked about it in another of his books. I haven't read any of his other books (and probably won't), so a brief recap would have been appreciated. Other than that, it's a good read.
Whether it's aliens or not isn't really the question. The question is, even (or especially) if there's a more earthly explanation, is Canada taking these sightings seriously enough?
The only thing that bugged me about this book was that Rutkowski would often refer to an incident and say he'd already talked about it in another of his books. I haven't read any of his other books (and probably won't), so a brief recap would have been appreciated. Other than that, it's a good read.
September 10, 2026
I can’t say enough good things about this book.
As someone who personally has never witnessed a UFO I was skeptical going in.
But, I was pleasantly surprised at the authors educational background and scientific approach. He’s also non biased and highly research based.
From the involvement of the Canadian government, his role over 30+ years, and his method of inquiry and documentation I couldn’t put this book down.
Highly recommend!
As someone who personally has never witnessed a UFO I was skeptical going in.
But, I was pleasantly surprised at the authors educational background and scientific approach. He’s also non biased and highly research based.
From the involvement of the Canadian government, his role over 30+ years, and his method of inquiry and documentation I couldn’t put this book down.
Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Canada's UFO Secrets: Disclosing Government Files on What Is Happening in Our Skies by Chris A. Rutkowski is a highly recommended look into how the Canadian government handles UFO reports, researcher Chris A. Rutkowsk's involvement in collecting reports, the history, government policy, investigations, and additional information. If you are looking for a gripping, sensationalized, heart-stopping account of aliens invading and attacking, you will be disappointed. If you are more interested in the open, honest transparency about the documents from Canadian UFO or UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) reports, then this will be of interest to you.
This book is the culmination of 75 years of aerial phenomena records in Canada, Included are historical documented cases, investigations, and government correspondence. The book follows a overview of the history of sightings through archives from the 1940s until the present. Included are photos of documents and some fragments of objects. Following the text are Acknowledgements, List of Abbreviations, Notes, Bibliography, Image Credits, and an Index.
Rutkowski has been researching Canadian UFO reports since the 1970s when he was in college. Early on UFO/UAP reports were sent to the Institute of Astrophysics as "non-meteoric sightings" and they didn't know what to do with them. At that time Rutkowski said, "Send them to me" and this began years of his collecting and investigating the sightings. The text is a consideration of the information and the development of Canadian UFO policy by the government and military. According to Rutkowski, since the Canadian UFO Survey began in the late 1980s, there are close to 25,000 separate UFO reports in Canada. He points out that the data is there, it just need analysis.
Included from a community college course he taught on how to be a UFO investigator Rutkowski is a 30 question checklist he developed as a guide to interviewing witnesses and recording information on sightings. He also includes The vast majority of sightings can be explained as misidentified conventional phenomena. There are some which initially appear to be unexplainable, but could be with more information. The book ends with six categories of explanations for reported UFO sightings. The first five explain almost all sightings, however, the final one gives a nod to, perhaps, visitors from outer space.
While it is clear that reports of UFO/UAPs are increasing, it is also obvious that current technology and advancements can explain the increase in many new sightings with drones, more amateur weather balloons, international spying (think Chinese weather balloon from 2023), to name a few. Even people releasing the fire-powered paper lanterns or aurora's could be an unexplainable phenomena to some unsuspecting viewer. Most sightings are airplanes, satellites, planets, fireballs, and meteors.
Canada's UFO Secrets is a great choice for anyone interested in a serious, not sensationalized, examination of Canada's UFO reports/sightings. Thanks to Dundurn Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
This book is the culmination of 75 years of aerial phenomena records in Canada, Included are historical documented cases, investigations, and government correspondence. The book follows a overview of the history of sightings through archives from the 1940s until the present. Included are photos of documents and some fragments of objects. Following the text are Acknowledgements, List of Abbreviations, Notes, Bibliography, Image Credits, and an Index.
Rutkowski has been researching Canadian UFO reports since the 1970s when he was in college. Early on UFO/UAP reports were sent to the Institute of Astrophysics as "non-meteoric sightings" and they didn't know what to do with them. At that time Rutkowski said, "Send them to me" and this began years of his collecting and investigating the sightings. The text is a consideration of the information and the development of Canadian UFO policy by the government and military. According to Rutkowski, since the Canadian UFO Survey began in the late 1980s, there are close to 25,000 separate UFO reports in Canada. He points out that the data is there, it just need analysis.
Included from a community college course he taught on how to be a UFO investigator Rutkowski is a 30 question checklist he developed as a guide to interviewing witnesses and recording information on sightings. He also includes The vast majority of sightings can be explained as misidentified conventional phenomena. There are some which initially appear to be unexplainable, but could be with more information. The book ends with six categories of explanations for reported UFO sightings. The first five explain almost all sightings, however, the final one gives a nod to, perhaps, visitors from outer space.
While it is clear that reports of UFO/UAPs are increasing, it is also obvious that current technology and advancements can explain the increase in many new sightings with drones, more amateur weather balloons, international spying (think Chinese weather balloon from 2023), to name a few. Even people releasing the fire-powered paper lanterns or aurora's could be an unexplainable phenomena to some unsuspecting viewer. Most sightings are airplanes, satellites, planets, fireballs, and meteors.
Canada's UFO Secrets is a great choice for anyone interested in a serious, not sensationalized, examination of Canada's UFO reports/sightings. Thanks to Dundurn Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐ Rating: 3.25 / 5
First off, thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC. This was an interesting concept going in, and I was genuinely curious to see how it would balance mystery vs. logic.
Canada’s UFO Secrets is definitely not your typical “aliens are here 👽” kind of book. If anything, it does the opposite; it grounds the entire topic in realism, data, and government records. And that’s both its biggest strength… and its biggest weakness.
The book dives into decades of UFO sightings in Canada, breaking them down into categories like defence threats, instrumentation errors, pilot misidentification, drones, and natural phenomena. What I actually really liked is how the author doesn’t jump to conclusions. He constantly reminds the reader that most sightings have very normal explanations: stars, satellites, aircraft, even things like Starlink (which was honestly kind of eye-opening).
There were moments that stood out, especially the real case studies, like radar incidents, pilot reports, and government documentation. Those parts felt the most engaging because they added a sense of “wait… okay, that’s actually weird.” You can tell the author has deep knowledge and experience in this field.
BUT—and this is where I’m gonna be real—it does get repetitive.
After a while, it starts to feel like:
“Here’s a sighting → it was probably something normal.”
“Here’s another sighting → also something normal.”
And while that’s scientifically responsible, it kills the intrigue. If you’re going in expecting mystery, tension, or even a slight “what if…?” vibe, this book doesn’t fully deliver that. It leans heavily into skepticism and practicality, sometimes to the point where it feels a bit dry.
The writing itself is clear and informative, but not super gripping. It reads more like a report or extended analysis rather than a narrative-driven nonfiction book. So, depending on your vibe, that can either work for you… or make it harder to stay engaged.
That being said, I did appreciate the broader ideas towards the end, especially the discussion about whether extraterrestrial life could realistically reach us. That part felt more philosophical and added depth beyond just case studies.
First off, thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC. This was an interesting concept going in, and I was genuinely curious to see how it would balance mystery vs. logic.
Canada’s UFO Secrets is definitely not your typical “aliens are here 👽” kind of book. If anything, it does the opposite; it grounds the entire topic in realism, data, and government records. And that’s both its biggest strength… and its biggest weakness.
The book dives into decades of UFO sightings in Canada, breaking them down into categories like defence threats, instrumentation errors, pilot misidentification, drones, and natural phenomena. What I actually really liked is how the author doesn’t jump to conclusions. He constantly reminds the reader that most sightings have very normal explanations: stars, satellites, aircraft, even things like Starlink (which was honestly kind of eye-opening).
There were moments that stood out, especially the real case studies, like radar incidents, pilot reports, and government documentation. Those parts felt the most engaging because they added a sense of “wait… okay, that’s actually weird.” You can tell the author has deep knowledge and experience in this field.
BUT—and this is where I’m gonna be real—it does get repetitive.
After a while, it starts to feel like:
“Here’s a sighting → it was probably something normal.”
“Here’s another sighting → also something normal.”
And while that’s scientifically responsible, it kills the intrigue. If you’re going in expecting mystery, tension, or even a slight “what if…?” vibe, this book doesn’t fully deliver that. It leans heavily into skepticism and practicality, sometimes to the point where it feels a bit dry.
The writing itself is clear and informative, but not super gripping. It reads more like a report or extended analysis rather than a narrative-driven nonfiction book. So, depending on your vibe, that can either work for you… or make it harder to stay engaged.
That being said, I did appreciate the broader ideas towards the end, especially the discussion about whether extraterrestrial life could realistically reach us. That part felt more philosophical and added depth beyond just case studies.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I opened Canada’s UFO Secrets by Chris A. Rutkowski because I wanted a serious look at the unknown; instead, I felt like I was back in a quiet office audit. The book is an exhaustive collection of records. It is a documentary on paper that stacks case upon case until you feel as though you are in a vast filing room. Rutkowski knows his facts, no doubt, but the delivery stays so flat that even the vacuum of space seems more lively. I hoped for a pulse, some sense of the absurd or the terrifying; instead, I got a relentless list of dates and official denials.
The text works as a ledger for how the Canadian government ignored or quietly tucked away decades of weirdness. There is no protagonist; you only find the collective confusion of various agencies. They move from genuine bafflement in the fifties to a modern, resigned indifference. It is interesting to watch how the authority handles the unexplained, but without a narrative thread, the people involved stay as names on a page.
My main issue is the volume of information. It feels as though every single report Rutkowski ever touched made the final cut. After ten reports of a "moving light," my focus just drifted. I looked for the connective tissue, the "so what" behind the secrecy, but the author stays so strictly in his role as a researcher that he forgets to be a storyteller. It is an impressive archive, but it is a heavy lift for a casual reader.
The tone is professional and entirely devoid of the mystery that usually makes this genre move. It reads like a white paper. While I respect the refusal to lean into cheap conspiracies, a little bit of atmosphere would not have hurt. This is the mundane reality of the filing system behind the myth.
If you are a hardcore researcher who needs a complete list of sightings, this is your bible. For the rest of us who want to feel the weight of the unknown, it is a lot to process. It left me with more knowledge about Canadian government procedure than about actual extraterrestrial life. It is honest and lacks hype, which I appreciate; just be prepared for a very dense read.
The text works as a ledger for how the Canadian government ignored or quietly tucked away decades of weirdness. There is no protagonist; you only find the collective confusion of various agencies. They move from genuine bafflement in the fifties to a modern, resigned indifference. It is interesting to watch how the authority handles the unexplained, but without a narrative thread, the people involved stay as names on a page.
My main issue is the volume of information. It feels as though every single report Rutkowski ever touched made the final cut. After ten reports of a "moving light," my focus just drifted. I looked for the connective tissue, the "so what" behind the secrecy, but the author stays so strictly in his role as a researcher that he forgets to be a storyteller. It is an impressive archive, but it is a heavy lift for a casual reader.
The tone is professional and entirely devoid of the mystery that usually makes this genre move. It reads like a white paper. While I respect the refusal to lean into cheap conspiracies, a little bit of atmosphere would not have hurt. This is the mundane reality of the filing system behind the myth.
If you are a hardcore researcher who needs a complete list of sightings, this is your bible. For the rest of us who want to feel the weight of the unknown, it is a lot to process. It left me with more knowledge about Canadian government procedure than about actual extraterrestrial life. It is honest and lacks hype, which I appreciate; just be prepared for a very dense read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Siempre me ha parecido interesante el tema de ovnis y extraterrestres desde pequeña por Maussan, cuando lo veía en la televisión explicando los fenómenos y avistamientos así que deseaba leer este libro. Y más aún luego de leer a Dolores Cannon me interesó más la ufología. Primeramente este libro no nos menciona datos que no estén avalados científicamente, todos tienen comprobación científica así que más que historias nos narra hechos reales donde los avistamientos ocurren desde 1662 por misioneros jesuitas que vivían con el pueblo indígena algonquino en Nueva Francia. Según el informe de los jesuitas, ellos y la comunidad que los acogía observaron serpientes de fuego, entrelazadas en forma de caduceo, volando en el aire, sostenidas por alas de llamas. Lo que me parece extraño e interesante es cómo inclusive incrementaron estos avistamientos en Canadá en la primera guerra mundial donde fácilmente podía ser percibido como un avión del grupo contrario y sin embargo, contra todo pronóstico se quedaba estático sobrevolando, acto que no podía hacer un avión normal, asi como todos los avistamientos que se van documentando a lo largo del libro son demasiado interesantes que nos hace replantearnos, ¿Somos realmente los unicos en este planeta? Y aunque el autor siempre intente justificar dichos avistamientos con estrellas, satélites, aeronaves, incluso cosas como Starlink o sonidos de barcos, creo que tambien entra el criterio y las conclusiones como lector.
Review of advance copy
There is no better person to tackle the topic of UFO's and the Canadian Government. Chris has been involved in the Canadian UFO topic since the 70's and has established himself as the top UFO civilian authority in Canada. "Canada's UFO Secrets" is not only an impressive insight into how interested the Canadian Government has been in the UFO topic but a chronicling of Chris' journey working with and without the government to figure out what is being seen in the skies of the great white north. It's one of the best modern "nuts and bolts" books on UFOlogy I have read. I would consider this a modern must-read for fans of the UFO topic not only in Canada but across planet Earth.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I enjoyed getting the Canadian perspective on UFO reports. As Canada’s UFO guy, the author has spent 35 years studying and researching, finding sightings mentioned as far back as the 1600s. His accounts are factual and objective, involving checking into Canadian and American military activity and aerial surveillance records. I also loved the addition of records from parliament and communications between government officials. Overall, this was a fascinating read that would appeal to history and UFO buffs.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews