The story was first told by the Canadian ufologist John B. Musgrave in 1977 in a UFO magazine article. Musgrave specified that he knew the three witnesses names.
Musgrave says that in the mid 1930's, much of the prairie provinces of Canada was still on the frontier of immigrant settlement, and telephones, paved roads and electricity were things of the future. The place of the encounter, near the town of Nipawin, Canada, is situated in the northwest corner of the province of Saskatchewan and was then on the edge of this settlement.
During the summer of 1933, stories drifted into Nipawin that some homesteaders, as well as a forest tower ranger, had observed strange lights in the sky and near the ground. This was seen for the better part of a week, in the northwest of Nipawin, near the Tobin Lake area, a country of rolling hills and low lying marsh. Parts of the area had begun to be farmed just a few years earlier, but was then left without improvement. Because of the local marsh, most of the towns-folk who heard about the strange lights explained them away as swamp gas.
But two men and a woman from Nipawin decided to check the lights, and shortly after midnight that summer night they jumped into a small pick-up truck and drove to the area where the lights were reported to have been seen. They saw that the glow on the horizon gradually grew brighter as they drove on. After driving as close as the rough trail would allow them, they got out, and hiked through the woods in the direction of this glow. They were blocked a quarter of a mile or less from reaching the source of the glow by a strip of muskeg that was too boggy to risk on to in the middle of the night.
But the spot was close enough to make out that the light came from a large oval and domed shaped object, slightly rounded on the bottom. The craft rested on legs, and from a central doorway or hatch, about a dozen figures could be seen going up and down a ladder-like stairway.
These occupants appeared to be slightly shorter than the average man, and were all dressed in what appeared to be silver colored suits or uniforms, and all wearing helmets or ski caps. They were all were busy running around, "repairing" the craft.
All about was a strange sort of quiet, even though the occupants were busy scurrying about. Not a sound could be heard. The three witnesses stared in silent amazement at what was going on, no one even thought to speak out. The bright orange glow that emanated from the craft lit up the surroundings area, and the three of them had no difficulty spying on the activities. The light from the craft was not only bright, but bad an "unearthly" quality never seen by any of them before and added to the mystery of the scene, miles away from the nearest farmhouse or forest tower.
After about a half an hour, the three of them returned to the truck and started back to town, hoping to find a way around the muskeg to get a closer look at the craft. But when they finally did come across a cut-off trail that might take them closer, they realized that they didn't have enough gasoline to take them in and out, so they gave up.
A couple of nights later, they were able to make a return trip out. It was a clear night with almost a full moon, and they hoped to get an even better view, but the object was not there that night. No trace of the glowing craft could be seen from the vantage point of two nights previous, and they returned to the truck to await dawn. They then walked back in across the muskeg to see if any evidence of what they had seen was left. And there was: six large square imprints that must have been the bases of the legs that supported the craft. Each imprint was the same size, 2 to 2.5 feet square, and approximately 5 to 10 feet apart. The imprints were 2 to 3 inches deep, and reminded the three of them of a kind of mark that would be made by boiler plate stomped into the ground. They could also see markings where the base of the stairway met ground. there was also a large burn mark in the center of the area that covered a circle approximately 12 feet in diameter. They looked for footprints but found none, though there was some scuffling of the vegetation surrounding the spot where the craft had been.
One of the witnesses had brought along a small brownie box camera and took photographs of the burn marks and of the imprints. Later, two of them wrote up an article about the whole affair and submitted it, along with copies of the photos, to a number of magazines and newspapers in Canada, but no publication was interested, and those publishers that replied wondered what kind of party they had been to those nights.
Musgrave says that in the course of the 40 plus years since the incident, the original photographs have been lost by the witness who took them. He provides a sketch of the traces and a sketch of the UFO, a "classical flying saucer", made by one of the witnesses.
The story was then picked up with more or less details and the usual slight errors in various UFO books and websites, but apparently nothing else happened about it.
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[Ref. jm1:] JOHN BRENT MUSGRAVE:
1933: UFO stops for repairsEven as late as the mid 1930's, much of the prairie provinces of Canada was still on the frontier of immigrant settlement. Particularly in the northern areas homesteaders were just beginning to open up the land to commerce and agriculture, and such Luxuries as telephones, paved roads and electricity were things of the future. The town of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, is situated in the northwest corner of the province and in the 30's was on the edge of this settlement. During the summer of 1933 stories drifted into Nipawin that some homesteaders, as well as a forest tower ranger, had been observing strange lights in the sky and near the ground. Whatever it was, they had been seeing it for the better part of a week. The land to the northwest of Nipawin, near the Tobin Lake area, is made up of rolling hills and low lying marsh. Parts of it bad begun to be farmed just a few years earlier, and it was without improvement Because of the local marsh, most of the towns-folk who heard about the strange lights explained them away as swamp gas - a convenient scapegoat that still gets used today. Fortunately, not everyone in Nipawin was convinced that the stories were based on nothing more than "hot air", and shortly after midnight that summer night two men and a woman (names known to the author) jumped into a small pick-up truck and drove to the area where the lights were reported to have been seen. They were not disappointed as the glow on the horizon gradually grew brighter as they drove on. After driving as close as the rough trail would allow them, they got out and hiked through the woods in the direction of the glow. They were blocked a quarter of a mile or less from reaching the source of the glow by a strip of muskeg that was too boggy to risk on to in the middle of the night. But it was close enough. From their vantage point they were able to make out that the light came from a large oval shaped object that was domed at the top and slightly rounded on the bottom. It was supported by legs and from a central door- way, or hatch, about a dozen figures could be seen going up and down a ladder-like stairway. The Occupants appeared to be slightly shorter than the average man, and were all dressed in what appeared to be silver colored suits or uniforms. All appeared to be wearing helmets or ski caps, and all were busy running around "repairing" the craft. All about was a strange sort of quiet, even though the occupants were busy scurrying about. Not a sound could be heard. The three witnesses stared in silent amazement at what was going on, no one even thought to speak out. The bright orange glow that emanated from the craft lit up the surroundings area, and the three of them had no difficulty spying on the activities. The light from the craft was not only bright, but bad an "unearthly" quality never seen by any of them before and added to the mystery of the scene. After about a half hour the three of them returned to the truck and started back to town hoping to find a way around the muskeg to get a closer look at the strange machine parked in the middle of a marsh miles away from the nearest farm- house or forest tower. But when they finally did come across a cut-off trail that might take them closer they realized that they didn't have enough gasoline to take them in and out. So they had to return home that night. It was not until a couple of nights later that they were able to make a return trip out. It was a clear night with almost a full moon, and they hoped to get an even better view. But this night the object was gone. No trace of the glowing craft could be seen from the vantage point of two nights previous, and they returned to the truck to await dawn. They then walked back in across the muskeg to see if any evidence of what they had seen was Left. And there was. six large square imprints that must have been the bases of the legs that supported the craft proved that there indeed had been something there that night. Each imprint was the same size - 2 to 2 1/2 feet square, and approximately S to 10 feet apart. The imprints were 2 to 3 inches deep, and reminded the three of them of a kind of mark that would be made by boiler plate stomped into the ground. They could also see markings where the base of the stair- way met ground. As if this wasn't remarkable enough, a great burn mark in the center of the area covered a circle approximately 12 feet in diameter. They looked for footprints but found none though there was some scuffling of the vegetation surrounding the spot where the craft had been. They came better prepared this time. One of the witnesses had brought along a small brownie box camera and took photographs of the burn marks and of the imprints. Later two of them wrote up an article about the whole affair and submitted it, along with copies of the photos, to a number of magazines and newspapers in Canada. But no publication was interested, and those publishers that replied wondered what kind of party they had been to those nights. In the course of the 40 plus years since the incident, the original photographs have been lost by the witness who took them, and who had learned the hard way that they were apparently of no interest to anyone else. Perhaps copies of them are still in existence stored in an attic or sandwiched between vacation shots in some photo album. If they are ever uncovered they may prove to be the earliest photographs of a physical trace case where there were witnesses, and which even had occupants. |
This is the craft sketched by one witness, according to John Brent Musgrave:
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[Ref. tt1:] TIM T. TOKARYK:
Tim T. Tokaryk was MUFON's Provincial Director for Saskatchewan. He wrote:
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Saskatchewan, like many Canadian provinces, has had its share of UFO reports and other strange phenomena. The small town of Nipawin reported unusual lights in 1933, which most locals thought to be "swamp gas." However, a few people decided to find the source of the light and came upon a disc-shaped object on the ground. |
The source is indicated as Musgrave, John B., Saskatchewan, 1933, "UFO Stops for Repairs." Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 22, No. 6, 1976. pp 16-17.
[Ref. jb1:] JANET AND COLIN BORD:
The authors indicate that in the summer of 1935 in Canada, in Nipawin in Saskatchewan, witnesses saw a UFO land and saw several small entities dressed in sulver outfit climb up and down a ladder. Square prints and burned areas were discovered and photographed the next day.
[Ref. tg1:] TIMOTHY GOOD:
The author indicates that during the summer of 1933 several residents of Nipawin, in Saskatchevan, Canada, told that they saw strange lights in the sky and on the ground, and that one night, two men and a woman who were really decided to learn the truth went there by truck, then walked in the direction of the light but were stopped by a marshy area from going closer than 400 meters of the light, that came from a large oval craft posed in the marsh.
Tim Good says the craft was topped by a dome and slightly rounded below, and that a dozen figures climbed up and down a ladder that came out of a central door. The figures were smaller than humans and wore a silver suit and some sort of baklava. They seemed to be busy repairing the ship, all of this in total silence and under an orange gleam bathing the surroundings.
Half an hour later the witnesses return to the city in order to circle the marsh and see the display from closer but they did not have enough gasoline and gave up.
A few days later they return to the spot, the craft was gone of course but there are numerous traces, described by John Musgrave as 6 clear holes where the craft landing gear had been, spaced of about 3 meters, 6 centimeters deep, and 60 or 90 centimeters wide. The place where the ladder was also claimed to have been found by the witnesses. In the center of the landing spot, there was a trace of scorched ground, 3 or 4 meters in diameter. However, they found no footprints.
[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
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1933, Canada, Nipawin (Saskatchewan). In the North-West of the area made of hills and marshes many gleams are observed at night. Two men and a woman approach about midnight closer to the area, making rest of the way by foot. They then saw that the gleam came from an oval object surmounted of a dome, posed on crutches. By the central door there was a coming and going of a dozen shapes which climbed up and down a kind of ladder. These beings were small, dressed on silver outfits and their operation occurred in an impressive silence. The gleam of orange colour lighted all the area. After half an hour of observation the witnesses returned to the truck. A few nights later the witnesses had the opportunity to go back to the place. The UFO was gone. But there were traces: 6 squares of 45 cm side separated by 2,5 to 3 m, from 5 to 7 cm deep forming a rectangle in the center of which was a circle of burned grass. (John Brent Musgrave in FSR vol. 22 n° 6 of 1976) |
[Ref. tp1:] TED PHILLIPS:
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Report 8/??/1933 Nipawin, Sask., 0700: multiple witness, disc with 6 legs, occupants, 30 minutes, traces. |
[Ref. bu1:] "BIBLE UFO" WEBSITE:
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1935 - Canada, Saskatchewan: Three witnesses saw landed UFO at Nipawin, and watched several little entities in silver suits ascending and descending a ladder. Square imprints and burnt areas seen and photographed at the location the next day. |
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
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8. Location. Near Nipawin Saskatchewan Canada Date: Summer 1933 Time: midnight Following a week of reported lights in the area, a Nipawin woman and two men decided to investigate. Around midnight they drove out toward Lake Tobin, going as far as they could in their pickup truck; they set on foot toward a light on the ground in a boggy area and, at a distance of under a quarter mile, saw a large oval on legs, domed and brightly luminous giving off an orange glow that lit up the area. There was an open hatch and they saw about a dozen humanoid figures, less than 5 feet, moving up and down the ladder and engaged in a repair operation. They wore silvery suits and helmets like a ski mask. The 3 witnesses watched for about a half an hour, then left. Several days later they located the landing site and found traces, including four apparent landing gear marks, around a circle of scorched ground. A photograph was taken of the traces, but is no longer available. Humcat 1933-1 Source: John B Musgrave Type: B |
[Ref. bc1:] BARB CAMPBELL:
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Saskatchewan records two known encounters with "little green men" during the summer of 1933. After a week-long period of strange lights in the sky, a woman and two men decide to investigate the area around Tobin Lake. All three witnessed a craft and about a dozen humanoid figures in silvery suits, helmets and ski masks, who appeared to be working on the craft. Several days later strange impressions were found in the ground at the landing site. |
[Ref. js1:] JEAN SIDER:
The author indicates that in 1933, in the summer, at midnight, close to Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada, there was a close encounter of the third kind close to lake Tobin.
Strange lights were observed late in the evening in some unspecified day of the summer, that some residents allotted to will-o'-the-wisps because of the marshes that existed in this sector at that time.
Two men and a woman did not agree with this interpretation and as the lights persisted in showing, they decided to go to the site by car to see by themselves.
Jean Sider indicates that the [French] translation of the incident is that after having driven to the maximum on the practicable ways, the investigators had to leave their vehicle and continue by foot through a wooden ground, then were blocked in their progression by a marshy ground, but they were close enough to see these unknown lights. From their observation place they noted that these sources of light came from an object of oval shape with a dome on the top and slightly rounded below. The machine is posed on the ground on narrow supports not far from a bouquet of shrubs. In the center of its structure, an open door and a ladder are distinguished, from which a dozen of human shapes goes up and down to the ground. They appear smaller than the human standard average and are dressed of outfits or uniforms of silver color, and they have helmet or a ski hat. They seem to be busy as if they carried out repairs on their craft.
The three witnesses remained approximately half an hour to observe then as nothing else happens they returned to their car and returned downtown. They did consider for a while to make a detour by a less dangerous way to enable them to see even more closely, but their gasoline tank was not full enough anymore, and they give up.
Two or three days later, they go on the landing site, note that the craft is gone, but find close to the bouquet of shrubs six square imprints in the ground which seem caused by the base of the landing gear. Each imprint is between 60 and 75 cm by side, from 5 to 8 cm in depth, and there is from 2,40 to 3 m between each trace. They also find the marks of the bottom of the ladder in the soft ground, and in the center of the traces a zone approximately four meters in diameter where the vegetation is burned, and this is surrounded by a larger oval zone in which the plants are scorched.
Jean Sider indicates that photographs of these traces were made and sent to the support of a report giving full details to several Canadian publications, but none agreed to reveal the case, and it was only forty years later than the CE3 was known to the investigator, whereas the photographs of the traces were not found. The identities of the witnesses are known of the investigator John Brent Musgrave, but they asked anonymity. According to a sketch which accompanies the text of his source, the six square traces were placed in two lines of three, forming a perfect rectangle.
Jean Sider indicates that the source is FSR, vol. 22, #6, 1978, pp. 16-17.
[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that in the Summer of 1933 at 00:00 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada, following a week of reported lights in the area, a Nipawin woman and two men decided to investigate. Around midnight they drove out toward Lake Tobin, going as far as they could in their pickup truck; they set on foot toward a light on the ground in a boggy area and, at a distance of under a quarter mile, saw a large oval on legs, domed and brightly luminous giving off an orange glow that lit up the area. There was an open hatch and they saw about a dozen humanoid figures, less than 5 feet, moving up and down the ladder and engaged in a repair operation. They wore silvery suits and helmets like a ski mask. The 3 witnesses watched for about a half an hour, then left. Several days later they located the landing site and found traces, including four apparent landing gear marks, around a circle of scorched ground. A photograph was taken of the traces, but is no longer available.
The source is a link to a nonexistent web page.
[Ref. ud2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that in Mid-1935 at 00:00 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada, "Close encounter with a an unidentified craft and its occupants. An unidentified object at close range and its occupants were observed by three witnesses in a swamp."
The source is indicated as "Webb, David, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports".
[Ref. pr1:] PETER ROGERSON:
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Summer 1933 - 0015 hrs NIPAWIN (SASKATCHEWAN : CANADA) Alerted by reports of strange lights on the ground and in the air in a marshy area to the north, 2 men and a woman drove to the area in a small pick up truck. They saw a glow, on the horizon, which grew brighter as they approached. At the end of the trail they hiked through woods until treacherous ground forced them to stop 400m from the light. They saw that this light came from a large oval machine, domed at the top, slightly rounded on the bottom, standing on legs. From a central opening a dozen or so figures could be seen going up and down a ladder. The occupants were shorter than average and were dressed in silver coloured suits with helmets resembling ski caps. The beings appeared to be carrying out repairs. The area was bathed in an unearthly orange glow and there was an absolute silence, with no sound at all. After about 30 minutes the party returned to their truck to try and find a better location, but they had to give up when their truck ran low on petrol. When they returned to the spot a couple of days later, 6 large square imprints 60-75cm square about 2.5-3m apart 5-7.5cm deep, and a burnt circle 3.6m diameter were visible. Photographs were taken of the traces. Attempts were made to publicise the story, without success. John Musgrave in FSR 22, 6 p16 citing his own first hand investigation) |
See the list of issues.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ufology | Severe | July 15, 2009 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Very late-reported case. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 2 | Ufology | Severe | July 15, 2009 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | No witness information, anonymous witnesses, verification impossible. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 3 | Ufology | Severe | July 15, 2009 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Musgrave does not specify whether he met the witnesses, or whether he just tells what he read in some letter he received. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 4 | Ufology | Severe | July 15, 2009 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | It seems dubious to me that helmets, and a ladder's bars, can be distinguished a a distance of 1/4 of a mile. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 5 | Ufology | Severe | July 15, 2009 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | No investigation or checking, story only. | Help needed. | Opened. |
Extraterrestrial beings or invention.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | July 15, 2009 | Creation, [jm1], [tt1], [jb1], [go1], [tp1], [bu1], [tg1], [ar1], [bc1], [js1], [ud1], [ud2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | July 15, 2009 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | October 7, 2017 | Addition [pr1]. |
