New museum highlights Shag Harbour UFO incident

By Greg Bennett

The Coast Guard

They came from all over …but not outer space this time.

Dozens of visitors took in the opening of the Shag Harbour Incident Society Museum on Saturday, June 16, a museum that, among other things chronicles the Oct. 4 1967, incident in which an object that many believe was a UFO crashed into the water.

Afterwards, the waters off Shag Harbour were the focus of intensive underwater searches by divers and media scrutiny in the wake of the incident.

The Society, which formed last fall, is working towards the construction of a permanent site up the road from the museum, which is temporarily located in a donated building next to R & D Nickerson Fisheries Ltd.

Barrington Municipal Warden Louise Halliday officially opened the museum on Saturday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Chairperson Cindy Nickerson says the temporary museum building may be humble but believes the museum has huge potential for the future and the community.

The Shag Harbour incident has been chronicled in books and on television and has captured the imaginations of UFO enthusiasts and others.

Nickerson says the society hopes to continually add material about the incident to the museum as funds become available. They plan in the near future to commission interpretative panels at the site.

The museum also includes items and information about the history of Shag Harbour.

Nickerson says there have also been people interested in joining the society. Dues are $5 annually. Members are welcome to participate in meetings and will receive the SHIS newsletter.

We’re small right now, but we’re a good group and we’re ready to work,” said Nickerson.