Summary
Project Magnet was a UAP study program established by Transport Canada in December 1950. The program was led by senior radio engineer for Transport Canada's Broadcast and Measurements Section Wilbert Brockhouse Smith. Project Magnet was active until mid-1954. It became formally inactive due to the lack of government funding until Smith's death in 1962. Smith’s research concluded that the UAP phenomena was likely extraterrestrial in origin. He also believed the UAPs could have been operated by manipulation of magnetism.
Studies
Smith used the facilities of the Department of Transport to study the UAP topic. Project Magnet got formal approval from the Canadian government on December 2, 1950. Project Magnet was intended to collect data about UAPs, and use practical engineering and technology to apply to any recovered data. The project aimed to apply findings on the subject of geomagnetism to the possibility of exploiting Earth's magnetic field as a source of propulsion for vehicles.
Smith and some of his colleagues in the Canadian government believed that if UAPs were indeed real, they might be used to study magnetism as a viable power source. The project received assistance from personnel at the Defence Research Board (DRB) and the National Research Council. One of Smith’s methods was launching a balloon into the sky at night in order to solicit sighting reports and test their accuracy.
In April 1952, the Canadian government established Project Second Storey, which was another UAP research project that Smith was also involved in. Project Second Storey included a group of scientists and military officers who met to recommend government action towards the UAP subject. Smith’s role with Project Second Storey was to report some of Project Magnet’s findings. Smith issued a preliminary report in June of 1952 that argued the claim that UAPs were likely from intelligent, extraterrestrial origin. The report also stated that UAPs “almost certainly” manipulated magnetism for flight. He released another report in 1953 that repeated the same conclusions from the 1952 report.
Smith also investigated UAPs at Shirley’s Bay outside of Ottawa. He believed that UAPs would emit physical characteristics that could be measured, and wanted to conduct his research there. A number of sighting reports were investigated by Project Magnet during his time there.
Here is a link to a Project Magnet report from Shirley's Bay.
Post Project Magnet
After Project Magnet was shut down in 1954, Smith used the Shirley's Bay facilities with his own funding to continue his personal UAP research.
Smith founded Topside, which was the publication of the Ottawa New Sciences Club. Smith wrote articles for the publication including "Space Brothers," in which he claimed to be in contact with. He believed the UAPs were related to psychic phenomena, and claimed to make telepathic contact with extraterrestrial beings. Smith also formed the Ottawa Flying Saucers Club.
Smith studied the UAP topic at his Shirley Bay location until his death in 1962.
