A quarter of believers demand that the Canadian government have a dedicated task force and battle plan in place for a potential alien invasion
T+E explores the unexplained in a nationwide survey on UFOs as new original series Encounter: UFO premieres Tuesday, August 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
T+E’s new original series Encounter: UFO airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, beginning August 10.
(Toronto, ON – July 19, 2021) – A national survey, commissioned by Canada’s leading paranormal television broadcaster T+E and conducted by market research firm Ipsos, reveals one in 10 Canadians claim to have seen an unidentified flying object. Among the 1,000 Canadians polled, more than half (56%) believe in UFOs, while a majority 65% believe intelligent extraterrestrial life exists. The belief that aliens exist is more prevalent among men (70%) than women (61%), and among Millennials (69%) and Gen X’ers (71%) than Boomers (58%).
The survey was commissioned by T+E ahead of the premiere of the broadcaster’s new original series Encounter: UFO. The eight-part docuseries weaves together powerful and credible first-hand accounts of UFO encounters and abductions, authentic video evidence and dramatic paranormal reenactments, while expert contributors explore the world-shattering realities of the witnessed events. The world broadcast premiere of Encounter: UFO airs Tuesday, August 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on T+E.
According to the survey results, close encounters of the alien kind are most likely to happen in the Prairies: 16% of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents claim to have seen a UFO, compared to 10% of Quebecers, 9% of Ontarians, 8% of Albertans, 7% of British Columbians, and just 5% of Atlantic Canadians. Men (64%) are significantly more likely than women (48%) to believe in UFOs and to claim they have seen one (11% vs. 7%).
Acclaimed Canadian science writer, ufologist and expert contributor in T+E’s new series Encounter: UFO, Chris Rutkowski says the survey results are in line with his own research. Rutkowski has collected and analyzed Canadian UFO report data since the 1970s and published the Canadian UFO Survey since 1989. “Canada has a long history of UFO sightings; they are more common than we think. About 1,000 UFO reports are filed in Canada every year, and there were more reports during the pandemic. When it comes to speculating about aliens visiting earth, most Canadians expect interstellar visitors to be friendly like E.T., and unlike the villainous aliens you see in films like Independence Day.”
Audiences who watch T+E’s all-new original series Encounter: UFO will hear from over 24 eyewitnesses from across the globe who swear they’ve seen unidentified flying objects, high-speed saucers and flashing bright lights in the night sky. One episode explores one of Canada’s most infamous UFO encounters, the case of Stefan Michalak, who reported being burned by a UFO in the wilderness of Falcon Lake, Manitoba, and features an in-depth interview with Stefan’s son, Stan Michalak. Encounter: UFO also delves into Canada’s best-documented UFO sighting in Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia. This paranormal event involves a UFO crash landing in the waters off Shag Harbour that was witnessed by several onlookers and resulted in a series of RCMP reports. UFO researcher and author Chris Styles, who played an integral role in the investigation, speaks about this mysterious incident in the docuseries.
Encounter: UFO is produced by Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Studios company. Michael Kot, Betty Orr, Nick Crowe, Pam McNair and Paul Kilback serve as Executive Producers. Brian Rice is the Director and Series Producer. Overseeing the series for T+E is Sam Linton, Head of Original Content for Blue Ant Media’s Canadian channels. Blue Ant International oversees international licensing for the series.
About Encounter: UFO:
Encounter: UFO tells the stories of the most incredible UFO sightings and abductions of the past and modern era. Each episode follows three shocking eyewitness accounts of supernatural encounters, backed up with the most compelling audio and visual evidence of UFOs: mobile phone footage and photographs. The documentary series distills the biggest mystery of the modern era into riveting, experiential storytelling.
About the Survey:
T+E’s Encounter: UFO survey polled a random nationwide sample of 1,001 Canadians, May 19-21, 2021. The poll was conducted by Ipsos. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total Canadian population, ages 18 and older. The accuracy of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled.
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Notes to Editor: Interviews with Chris Rutkowski, acclaimed Canadian science writer and ufologist, and Nick Crowe, Executive Producer, Saloon Media, are available upon request.
T+E is a Blue Ant Media specialty channel and the ultimate destination for totally entertaining programming, providing an escape into a world that is brimming with mystery, intrigue, and unforgettable storytelling. As the home to spine-tingling paranormal encounters, T+E combines thrills and chills with fan-favourite cult series and can’t-miss TV events. Tandetv.com.