Formed in 1916, The National Research Council (NRC) is a prominent Canadian organization involved in scientific research and development.
Following World War II, the NRC sought to distance itself from military research and focus on civilian scientific pursuits, which prompted the establishment of the Defence Research Board (DRB) in 1947 to take over most military-related research activities.
From the mid-1960s onward, the NRC was the main agency responsible for collecting reports of UFO sightings in Canada. The NRC routinely received reports from private citizens, the RCMP, civic police, and military personnel. The NRC's interest in UFOs stemmed from the possibility that some sightings could be explained as meteors or bolides, potentially leading to meteorite discoveries.
Despite its scientific capabilities, the NRC was hesitant to take on the responsibility for UFO investigations. This reluctance stemmed from a lack of enthusiasm for the subject among its scientists, budgetary constraints, and a perceived lack of scientific merit in UFO sightings. The NRC's view of UFOs as "not an attractive field for investigation," reveals a skeptical stance within the scientific community towards the phenomenon.
Peter Millman, an astronomer within the NRC and the chairman of the earlier Project Second Storey, considered UFOs to be misidentified natural phenomena or hoaxes, not meriting serious scientific inquiry. The NRC's ultimate assessment of UFOs as "not amenable to scientific inquiry" solidified its position and further justified its limited engagement with the subject.
Citing budget cuts, the NRC stopped collecting UFO reports in 1995.
Hayes, Matthew. Search for the Unknown: Canada’s UFO Files and the Rise of Conspiracy Theory. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2022. https://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/objects/etd-776
Hayes, Matthew. A History of Canada's UFO Investigation, 1950-1995. Trent University, 2018. https://www.amazon.ca/Search-Canadas-Files-Conspiracy-Theory/dp/0228010748