Canadian Journalist Exposes Internal Emails Allegedly Quashing UFO Information Requests

Canadian investigative journalist Daniel Otis has uncovered a trove of internal Government of Canada emails suggesting attempts to suppress requests for UFO-related information.

In interviews with the WTUFO podcast, Otis disclosed that a senior Transport Canada official sought to dismiss multiple Access to Information and Privacy requests on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, also known as UAPs, as trivial or frivolous. These revelations shed new light on how UFO inquiries are handled in Ottawa and how internal bureaucracy may influence the flow of sensitive information.

The discovery has stirred debate over government transparency, especially given that the same official later became the primary point of contact for Canadian-US UAP communications. The emails, dating from 2021 and 2022, reveal frustration with what was described as a growing flood of requests, some of which were characterised as 'insane' or a 'hunt for little green men.'

Emails Show Official Trying to Block Requests

The documents obtained by Otis indicate that Patrick Juneau, a senior Transport Canada official, repeatedly reached out to colleagues across departments in an effort to dismiss UAP-related requests. In one 2021 email, he wrote: 'I really need assistance relief here on all these insane UFO ATIPs. We've become a full time ATIP search for little green men and it's no longer within the definition of reasonable.'

Juneau expressed his confusion over how to manage the inquiries, adding: 'I am at a loss at how to proceed, unsure if you have any ideas or if we can elevate this higher, but it's a big problem for us that seems to be growing.'

His language paints a picture of bureaucratic exasperation at requests he considered excessive or unnecessary. In January 2022, he further described them as 'abusive, harassing, and vexatious' and a 'wild goose chase not in the interests of taxpayers.'

The emails reveal a rare glimpse into the internal deliberations on how government agencies weigh public access against perceived administrative burden, particularly regarding unusual topics like UAPs.

Official Later Named UAP Liaison With US

Despite his apparent disdain for the requests, Juneau was later designated Transport Canada's lead on UAPs and its point of contact with US counterparts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. A November 2022 email from a US Embassy official in Ottawa asked Canadian authorities for a contact on UAPs, stating: 'We have some colleagues at the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence's National Intelligence Manager-Aviation directorate who are looking to get connected.'

A Transport Canada adviser replied: 'Patrick Juneau (copied here) is the TC lead on UAPs.' This appointment highlights a striking irony: the official who sought to quash UFO information requests was now the primary liaison on these very matters. Analysts suggest that his aversion to providing information may have made him a logical choice in the eyes of bureaucrats, as he could control communications and manage sensitive enquiries efficiently.

Implications for Transparency and Public Trust

The email revelations underscore ongoing challenges in balancing public access to information with bureaucratic efficiency. Canada's Freedom of Information processes, known as ATIP requests, are designed to allow citizens to request government documents, yet the Juneau emails suggest that unusual topics can trigger internal pushback.

Juneau's frustration, captured in his emails, may have inadvertently shaped Canadian-US UAP communications, raising questions about how individual perspectives affect policy and disclosure. As UAPs remain a subject of fascination worldwide, the emails highlight that transparency is not just a matter of law, but of human discretion within the corridors of power.