Aliens in the Outfield: A Travel Assignment

When most Manitobans gaze at the sky on a clear night, they are met with familiar images – the glow of a crescent moon, the twinkle of distant stars, or maybe even the blinking lights of a passing jet. In Falcon Lake, however, a glance to the heavens can sometimes mean an encounter with something otherworldly.

“There have been lots of unexplained sightings in the area,” says Murray Imrie, owner of Falcon Beach Ranch. “I’ve heard stories of lights following people home in their boats.”

The “sightings” that Imrie refers to are supposed encounters with UFOs. That’s right, honest-to-goodness alien life forms playing some intergalactic prank by chasing innocent Manitobans around. Regardless of your views on extraterrestrial life, however, it is difficult to ignore Falcon Lake’s long history of encounters with the unknown.

The most famous of these encounters has simply become known as the Falcon Lake Incident. According to an analysis written by local writer and supernatural expert, Chris Rutkowski, the incident occurred on May 20, 1967, when amateur geologist, Stefan Michalak, allegedly came in contact with an alien spacecraft. In his analysis – found at ufoevidence.org – Rutkowski explains how Michalak approached the craft, thinking it was an experimental American vehicle. Michalak could hear two voices coming from the craft, so he addressed them in six different languages. None got a response. Finally, Michalak went right up to the craft, only to be hit with a blast of hot gas as it flew off.

In Falcon Lake, Michalak’s story is the stuff of legend. Tim Parr, a six-year employee of the Falcon Lake Resort Hotel, recalls when he first heard the tale. “I remember the hotel was decorated with alien stuff,” says Parr. “There was a big blow-up alien hanging from the ceiling, so I asked ‘what’s all this about’?”

Since learning of the Falcon Lake Incident, Parr’s fascination with the case has grown. “Over the past couple weeks I’ve come across some unclassified government documents online,” says Parr, working feverishly to locate the page.

And Parr isn’t the only one who’s intrigued by Michalak’s supposed UFO encounter. Imrie, who gives horseback tours to the site where Michalak allegedly saw the craft, says that he’s taken a number of fanatics to the location. “I’ve taken guys in there who were filming movies, people from the planetarium, all sorts,” says Imrie. He even mentions that he’d shown Rutkowski the site.

According to falconbeachranch.com, the tour – aptly titled the UFO Ride – takes one and a half hours, and costs $75 for two people. Imrie says the popularity of the ride is sporadic, however, he many have at least one potential customer on the horizon. “I can see myself taking a trip up to the site,” says Parr. “With my wife of course.”

And if they’re lucky, maybe Imrie and Parr will have their own encounter with some unearthly visitors. “People are continuing to see these things out here,” says Imrie. “So they must be coming from somewhere.”