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Shag Harbour UFO Sighting
Commemorative Cancellation

Shag Harbour UFO sighting commemorative cancellation
The Shag Harbour UFO sighting commemorative cancellation was first used on May 18, 2001.

The Government of Canada has never authorized a full-scale study of its "Non-Meteoritic Sightings File" and there have been rumblings about a cover-up of the results of the investigation of a 1967 UFO sighting near Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia. Nevertheless, Canada Post acknowledged the latter event by authorizing a commemorative cancellation for use by the post office in the small fishing community. The local Chapel Hill Historical society created a commemorative stamp using the customized booklet stamps issued on December 28, 2000. The text on the back of the souvenir card franked with this stamp and bearing the commemorative cancellation reads:

THE SHAG HARBOUR UFO INCIDENT

     October 4th, 1967 marks a significant date in the annuls of Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia. For it was on this night that a strange sight was witnessed in the skies over this small fishing community.
     A series of lights was observed by several residents, which appeared to descend and crash into the Shag Harbour "Sound". This incident was reported to the RCMP by observers, who, for the most part thought that they had just witnessed a plane crash!
     When would-be rescuers arrived on the scene by boat, no plane was found. Only a dense yellow foam on the surface of the water marked the suspected area. After a limited search that evening, the Canadian Coast Guard and Navy divers were called in the next day. Their effort were eventually called off several days later. No official report was ever released, and within a year the story had pretty much been forgotten. Had it not been for a fancifully retelling of the event in a 1970 Golden Key comic, it perhaps would have faded away to memory.
     Nearly thirty-four years have now passed and due to a resurgence of interest combined with the investigative efforts of both Don Ledger and Chris Styles (co-authors of the book "Dark Object”) they have now begun to reveal the facts behind the mysterious "dark object" seen that night. Government documents disclose that a conscious effort was taken to cover up this incident. It has been revealed that there were several other collaborating accounts from other areas of the province that had been reported earlier that very same evening, which eventually lead up to the Shag Harbour sighting. However the official report cites no explanation for its findings, therefore no press release was ever made. The "object" remains undeniably labelled, in at least one official file as being an "Unidentified Flying Object7," a bonafide UFO!


THE POSTCARD:

     With the renewed interest in the Shag Harbour UFO incident, the local historical society (Chapel Hill) sought to recognize the significance of this event.
     Historical society member Cindy Nickerson, who is also Shag Harbour's Postmistress suggested that perhaps Canada Post might entertain the possibility of having a new postal cancellation approved for the office, one which acknowledged the "UFO crash". After numerous phone calls and letters, approval was finally granted in January of 2001. The art design, which is the work of Chapel Hill Historical Society's past President, Eric Shand was used for the cancellation. The date shown, May 18th 2001 is the official first day of use.
     The yellow card stock is symbolic of the foam which was present in the area of the crash site. This was one of the few tangible pieces of evidence that confirmed that some "thing" had struck and/or entered the water that night. Several fishermen (while en route to what they thought was a plane crash) encountered this mysterious foam and reluctantly took their boats through the area, not knowing if it was corrosive or perhaps even flammable.
     The scene depicted on the postage stamp is that of the Shag Harbour Sound. Taken near where onlookers converged that evening and the following days to witness the aftermath. The photo and card concept are by society member Doug Shand and were used here with his permission.


Both the 1967 UFO sighting and the 2001 commemorative cancellation attracted attention in Canada and beyond.

Shag Harbour UFO sighting customized commemorative stamp
The Shag Harbour UFO sighting commemorative stamp is a customized "Frame Design" stamp first issued December 28, 2000.


The Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia made the news when a UFO was sighted in 1967.


Dark Object Book Cover
Dark Object.

Don Ledger and Chris Styles' book Dark Object renewed interesting the
1967 sighting of an unidentified Flying Object at Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia.


Bibliography

Calamai, Peter. "Up in the sky! It's nothing!" The Montreal Gazette. 16 Mar. 1970: 7. Print.

"Canada." Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue. 2008.

Demont, John. "The mystery of Shag Harbour, 48 years on." The Chronicle Herald. 12 Oct. 2015.
     Web. 11 Apr. 2016. http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1316278-demont-the-mystery-of-
     shag-harbour-48-years-on.

Dudding, George. The Shag Harbour UFO Puzzle. Seattle: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
     Platform, 2015. Print.

Macleod, Ray. "Could be something concrete in Shag Harbour UFO - RCAF." The Chronicle Herald.
     2 Oct. 1967: 1. Print.

Ledger, Chris and Don Styles. Dark Object. New York: Dell, 2001. Print.

New York Times News Service. "UFO homage Canadian postmark memorializes 1967 extraterrestrial
     visitor sighting."The Victoria Advocate. 19 May. 2001: 7. Print.

Nickerson, Colin. "UFO incident earns postmark in Canada." Wilmington Morning Star.
     19 May 2001: 7A. Print.


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