Daniel Otis, a Canadian freelance investigative journalist, has submitted over 200 requests under federal and provincial freedom of information laws to various Canadian agencies, seeking records on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) observed in Canadian airspace.
He has received thousands of pages of relevant material, including 70 years of reports from Canadian pilots, soldiers, and police officers, reports thedebrief.org.
“For more than two years, I have used freedom of information requests to uncover case files, procedures, and briefing material about unidentified objects and lights in Canadian airspace,” Otis says.
“While this might seem outlandish at first, I have obtained thousands of pages of relevant material, including 70 years of reports from Canadian pilots, soldiers, and police officers.”
However, one of his requests was denied by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which refused to disclose records concerning UAP detected at or near Ontario’s nuclear power plants.
Otis launched the request based on an anonymous tip he received. OPG claimed that releasing the records could seriously threaten an individual’s safety or health.
Journalist has now hired a law firm, The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), to help him appeal the decision. The CCF is a national and non-partisan charity that defends constitutionally protected rights and freedoms.
He argues that the public has a right to know how government agencies are addressing the UAP issue, especially in relation to national security and nuclear power.
Otis’s case is part of a broader effort to increase transparency and accountability on the UAP topic, which has gained more attention and legitimacy in recent years.
In the United States, a UAP Disclosure Act is being proposed by lawmakers to require the government to release more information on UAP sightings and investigations.