Please come in peace: Canada prepared for alien visits with world's first UFO landing pad

Craig Glenday is GWR’s Editor-in-Chief, but he’s also a keen UFOlogist. So, who better to discuss this record-breaking stop on the international UFO tourism trail?

I am a confessed UFO nerd. I was lucky enough to found and edit a paranormal and mysteries magazine called The X Factor, and I’ve even written The UFO Investigator’s Handbook – a how-to guide for assessing claims of extraterrestrial encounters.

As part of this previous life before GWR, I was something of a UFO tourist, visiting hotspots like Bonnybridge in my homeland of Scotland, Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, England, but also further afield, to places such as Area 51 in Nevada and Roswell in New Mexico, USA - which I visited for the 50^th anniversary celebrations of the famous and much scrutinized UFO crash in 1947.

But there’s one place on my UFOlogy bucket list that I’ve yet to visit. Tucked away in the northeast of Alberta, Canada, the small town of St Paul (population: 6,000) holds an intriguing and truly out-of-this-world distinction – it’s home to the planet’s first official UFO landing pad.

Built in 1967 as a Canadian Centennial project, the concrete platform was designed not only to welcome potential extraterrestrial visitors, but also to symbolize peace and unity during a time of global tension.

The St Paul UFO landing pad was a community-led initiative created to celebrate Canada’s 100th Independence Day. Local leaders and residents wanted to do something imaginative and memorable. The result? A massive 9-m-wide (30-ft), 130-ton circular concrete structure built atop a time capsule that’s not due to be opened until 2067. The pad was designed to accommodate the classic flying-saucer-shaped spaceship, and was built just in time to coincide with the closest approach to Earth (perigee) of the planet Mars. (The hope was that our little green neighbours would find it an easy hop!) The project was officially unveiled by Canada's Minister of Defence, Paul Hellyer - lending the quirky project legitimate government endorsement.

Built using local labour and materials, the platform is a bold symbol of hope: an invitation for beings from beyond to visit Earth in peace. But far from being just a novelty, the Landing Pad has also become a cherished landmark. It represents more than curiosity about alien life – it reflects the town’s creativity and welcoming spirit, and over the years, has drawn thousands of curious visitors, photographers and believers in extraterrestrial life.

The saucer-shaped UFO Information Centre located opposite the landing pad showcases alleged UFO photographs, alien-themed memorabilia and stories of ET encounters from across the country. It has helped establish St Paul as an essential stop on the growing trail of UFO tourism, along with the likes of Roswell in New Mexico, Area 51 and Rachel in Nevada, Wycliffe Well in Australia’s Northern Territories and Bonnybridge in Scotland.

FACT: The backstop of the platform features a map of Canada made from stones sourced from each of the provinces.

The UFO landing pad in St Paul may not have hosted an alien ship – yet! – but it stands as a lasting tribute to imagination, unity and interstellar curiosity. If you happen to be an extraterrestrial intelligent being planning on a trip to Earth some time soon, let me know and we can arrange to meet. At least you know there’s a parking space waiting for you. But just don’t arrive on a Monday – the pad is closed on Mondays!

Ten more UFO- and alien-themed world records:

1. First UFO sighting by a pilot - The world’s earliest recorded sighting of a UFO by a pilot occurred on 31 January 1916, when a British biplane aviator – Lieutenant Reginald Stuart Maxwell of the Royal Flying Corps – reported seeing a row of mysterious lights rising into the sky near Rochford in Essex, UK. Lt Maxwell encountered the phenomenon – which he described as looking like the lighted windows on a train carriage – at 10,000 ft. He attempted to give chase but his BE2c engine inexplicably failed, although he managed to fire off a few rounds at the lights before they disappeared.
2. First report of a flying saucer – Another pilot, Kenneth Arnold (USA), reported encountering nine unexplained objects in the sky near Mount Rainier in Washington, USA, on 24 June 1947. He described the UFOs as looking like pie-plates and moving “like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water”. The media misquoted Arnold, instead coining the term “flying saucer”, which quickly caught the public’s imagination and led to a flying-saucer craze.
3. Largest civilian UFO investigative group - The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) is a US-based organization that has been investigating UFO sightings since 31 May 1969. As of 2025, it boasts more than 4,000 members worldwide, and claims to have trained more than 600 field investigators.
4. First videogame to feature animated aliens - The original arcade version of Space Invaders (Taito) in 1978 was the first video game to feature an alien – in fact; it had four different species of them.

Part of the largest collection of grey alien-related memorabilia

5. First company to offer insurance against alien abduction - In 1987, the UFO Abduction Insurance Company sold insurance policies that can be claimed if the policy holder can prove they have been abducted by extraterrestrials. The policy, which cost $19.95, pays out 10 million dollars to any successful claimants
6. Highest-grossing alien-invasion movie – In the cinematic genre where Earth is attacked by a hostile alien race, Independence Day  (USA, 1996) remains the most successful at the global box office, earning $817 million.
7. Longest-running SETI project – SETI is the “Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”. In May 1999, the University of California launched the SETI@home project to find signs of alien life collected by radio telescope. The “distributed computing” project offered volunteers the chance to download software on to their PCs that would scan radio data for potential signs of life. It ran for 20 years, although the message boards are still open, allowing the SETI community to stay in touch.
8. Largest collection of grey alien-related memorabilia – The “Greys” are a species of widely reported extraterrestrial recognizable from their smooth skin, oversized heads and almond-shaped eyes. At the last official count in November 2011, Lisa Vanderperre-Hirsch of Vero Beach, Florida, USA, had amassed 547 individual items relating to aliens, including even alien toilet paper. (From Uranus!?)

Part of the largest collection of grey alien-related memorabilia

9. Largest UFO convention – The world’s most attended annual UFO convention is Contact in the Desert, organized by “Captain Ron” Janix (USA). It was first staged in Joshua Tree, California, USA, in 2013, and in 2018 relocated to Indian Well, where it now attracts more than 3,000 attendees “intrigued by UFOs, UAPs [unidentified aerial phenomena], and extraterrestrial life”.
10. Fastest marathon dressed as an alien - Andy Brock (UK) ran the TCS London Marathon on 27 April 2025 dressed as a bright green extraterrestrial complete with bug-like eyes on stalks. He finished in a time of 3 hours 10 minutes 10 seconds.