Survey suggests Canadians looked to the skies, saw more UFOs during pandemic

WINNIPEG -- A new survey suggests Canadians spotted more UFOs last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris Rutkowski with Ufology Research in Winnipeg says sightings of unidentified flying objects across the country increased by 46 per cent in 2020.

He says the total of 1,243 sightings is one of the highest recorded in a single year.

Roughly 30 per cent of the sightings were in Ontario and 24 per cent came from Quebec.

While some ended up being a satellite or a plane flying at an awkward angle, Rutkowski says 13 per cent were unexplained.

He says it's possible the pandemic has forced people to question their place in the universe, so they are looking at the sky more and pondering extraterrestrial @life.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2021.