Canada: Wilbert Smith drafts Project Magnet UFO report
In April 1953, Wilbert B. Smith prepared a report for Canada's Department of Transport on Project Magnet, informing Keyhoe that it would likely conclude UFOs are extraterrestrial craft. This reflects Smith's belief in alien origins based on prior investigations.
Background
Background
Wilbert B. Smith, a senior radio engineer with Canada's Department of Transport, had led Project Magnet since 1950, an official investigation of UFO sightings focused on geomagnetic propulsion. In April 1953, he worked on a final report that advanced the hypothesis that UFOs were controlled by extraterrestrial intelligence.
Key Event
Smith contacted Donald E. Keyhoe, a prominent UFO researcher, and told him that the report would identify UFOs as extraterrestrial vehicles. This was based on data collected through magnetometer measurements and analyses of sightings, including incidents such as the Shirley's Bay event in 1954. Although there were no visual observations, instrumental anomalies were considered to support the theory.
Significance
The report emphasized Smith's belief in extraterrestrial technology that made use of Earth's magnetic fields. Despite government denials and the project's end in 1954, Smith's work remained influential in later UFO research. References cited by Clark point to internal documents.