Canada’s first UFO landing pad

In 1967, the small town of St Paul, Canada declared that they were a place that welcomed everyone, even the aliens.

They did this by building a giant UFO landing pad, hoping to attract intergalactic tourists.

They timed it to coincide with Canada's centennial celebrations.

Although most of the town saw it as a light hearted joke the driving force behind the alien parking space Margo Lagassee, was a firm believer in the outer space community.

Paul Boisvert who was the part of the original crew behind the landing pad tells Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty how St Paul became a destination spot for extraterrestrial visitors.

He also makes clear if aliens do descend on St Paul he “would be pleased to feed them some Pierogi, Garlic Sausage and Pea Soup.”

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Paul Boisvert on the landing pad. Credit: Melissa Broadbent)