A circular object with flashing lights in Vaughan.

An orange fireball in Aurora.

A slow-moving, nearly-transparent object in Newmarket.

These strange sights in York Region skies are among seven local UFO sightings in the newly released 2007 Canadian UFO Report.

The annual report, written by ufologists Chris Rutkowski and Geoff Dittman, collects information on UFO sightings.

Mr. Rutkowski, who hails from Manitoba, said the study’s purpose is “to document what actually is being observed by Canadians in terms of UFO sightings and gain a better understanding of the phenomenon”.

He added that data can also be used in scientific studies of UFOs.

Mr. Rutkowski said everyone from stay-at-home parents to pilots report sightings.

The report includes information about each of 2007’s 836 cases’ date, time, what was observed and how many witnesses saw it.

Each case is also given a “strangeness” and a reliability rating on a scale from one to 10.

No case in York Region scored above a five on the strangeness scale this year, but three were classified a seven on the reliability scale.

Information is mainly gathered from a series of UFO reporting agencies, including those on the web, Mr. Rutkowski said.

A July 7, 2007 case in Keswick was brought to ufology researchers’ attention by the Department of National Defence.

Only 3 per cent of cases are reported through government agencies.

Mr. Rutkowski said the government and armed forces don’t investigate reports of UFOs.

2007 marked a significant increase in sightings across Canada.

This may be because there’s a reduction in the stigma surrounding UFO sightings, Mr. Rutkowski said, or that people are watching the skies more.

This year, the Toronto area — suburbs are included in the statistics — boasted the most reports.

“This could be something as simple as trees falling in the forest,” Mr. Rutkowski said. “UFO sightings are related to population, so a greater number of observers translates into a greater number of reports.”

He added this is not always the case, since some reports come from sparsely populated areas.

Errol Bruce-Knapp is one of the GTA’s UFO authorities. He’s the webmaster of virtuallystrange.net and an mailing list called UFO UpDates.

He compiles reports from all over the world and said he gets “the occasional” report from the GTA.

However, that doesn’t mean interest in UFOs doesn’t exist in southern Ontario.

“I could possibly name 30 or 40 (people very interested in UFOs),” Mr. Bruce-Knapp said. “And then there’s  all the others who don’t like to make a big fuss about their interests.”

But true research into UFOs is becoming a dying art, he said, addingMr. Rutkowski’s report “is exceedingly useful in that no one else is doing it.”

Mr. Rutkowski’s report suggests that one-tenth of North Americans have seen a UFO.

But does that mean all of these are sightings of extraterrestrial activity?

Likely not.

The report indicates if cases are explained, have a probable explanation or are unexplained.

Mr. Rutkowski said he judges them based on if there is sufficient information to prove the object seen was a star, planet, fireball or aircraft.

In 2007, about 16 per cent of all cases were deemed unexplained, but the percentage falls to less than 1 per cent when only high-quality cases are considered.

Only two of seven of York Region’s cases are considered unexplained.

Both have higher-than-average reliability and strangeness ratings and more than the average number of witnesses.

Do you think you’ve seen a UFO? E-mail editor Kim Champion at kchampion@yrmg.com

2007 cases in York Region:

• Jan. 13: Two witnesses report a low-flying circular object with flashing lights travelling slowly in Vaughan. It scored a three on the strangeness scale and seven on reliability. The case is considered explained.
• Feb. 12: One witness spotted an orange ball of light on steep descent going southwest in the sky in Aurora. The case, which scored low in strangeness and average in reliability, is considered probably explained.
• March 23: Three witnesses report a boomerang-shaped, nearly transparent object in the sky in Newmarket. It moved across  the sky and vanished. The case is a four on the reliability scale and a seven in reliability. It’s considered unexplained.
• April 12: Two witnesses spotted nine to 12 egg-shaped objects in the morning sky in Richmond Hill. They scattered, then disappeared. The case, considered probably explained, was a four on the strangeness scale and a seven for reliability.
• May 11: Two witnesses spotted four lights hovering in the distance in Vaughan at 4 p.m. The objects have been identified.
• July 7: One witness spots “streaks of broken lines of light” in Keswick, which moved rapidly. The source for this case is the Department of National Defence. It’s considered a four on the strangeness scale and a seven for reliability. It’s classified as unexplained.
• Nov. 20: A star-like object, which was very bright and moving slow was spotted in Richmond Hill. The case, which was a three in strangeness and a six in reliability, is considered probably explained.