Project Magnet

Background

Project Magnet was Canada's first official UFO investigation program, established by Transport Canada in December 1950 under the direction of Wilbert Brockhouse Smith, a senior radio engineer.

• Operated formally until mid-1954 and informally until Smith's death in 1962
• Ostensibly researched geomagnetism and Earth's magnetic field for vehicle propulsion
• Based at an observatory in Shirley's Bay near Ottawa from 1952

Research Methods and Findings

The project employed specialized equipment to detect anomalies and investigate unidentified flying objects.

• Used magnetometers, gamma-ray detectors, and gravimeters for detection
• Recorded one unexplained gravimeter deflection in August 1954
• Smith concluded UFOs were likely extraterrestrial and operated via magnetic manipulation

Termination and Legacy

The program was terminated following public disclosure, and subsequent government assessment dismissed UFO reports.

• Department of Transport halted the program after public disclosure
• The Defence Research Board subsequently dismissed UFO reports as misidentifications of natural phenomena