Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 25, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Continued from Bucharest takes in Unity Mission a my encounter with the ufos Michalak displays Buras. After Steve Michalakos encounter with the ufos he and his family were bombarded by the Media. In an attempt to Deal with All the requests for information in 1967, Michalak privately published a pamphlet called my encounter with the ufos. It was originally written in polish by Michalak and translated. The following is an excerpt of Michalakos description of the Craft once it landed on the Flat Rock at Falcon Lake. I approached the object closer coming to within 60 feet of the glowing mass of Metal. Then i heard voices. They sounded like humans although somewhat muffled by the sounds of the motor and the Rush of air that was continuously coming out from somewhere inside. I was Able to make out two distinct voices one with a higher pitch than the other. This latest discovery added to my excitement and i was sure that the Craft was of an earthly origin. I came even closer and beckoned to those inside a wok Yankee boys having trouble come on out and Well see what we can do about there was no answer and no sign from within. I had prepared myself for some response and was taken Aback when none came. I was at a loss perplexed. I did no to know what to do next. But then More to encourage myself than anything else i addressed the voices in russian asking them if they spoke russian. No answer. I tried again in German italian French and ukrainian. Still no answer. Then i spoke again in English and walked closer to the Craft. By now i found myself directly in front of it and decided to take a look inside. However standing within the beam of Light was too much for my eyes to Bear. I was forced to turn away. Then placing Green lenses Over my goggles i stuck my head inside the opening. The inside was a Maze of lights. Direct beams running in horizontal and Diagonal paths and a series of flashing lights it seemed to me were working in a random fashion with no particular order or sequence. Again i stepped Back and awaited some reaction from the Craft. As i did this i took note of the thickness of the Walls of the Craft. They were about 20 inches thick at the Cross Section. Then came the first sign of motion since the Craft touched Down. Two panels Slid Over the opening and a third piece dropped Over them from above. This completely closed off the opening in the Side of the Craft. Then i noticed a Small screen pattern on the Side of the Craft. It seemed to be some sort of ventilation system. The screen openings appeared to be about 3/16 of an Inch in diameter. I approached the Craft once again and touched its Side. It was hot to the touch. It appeared to be made of a stainless steel like substance. There were no signs of welding or joints to be seen anywhere. The outer surface was highly polished and looked like coloured Glass with Light reflecting off of it. It formed a spectrum with a Silver background As the sunlight hit the sides. I noticed that i had burned my Glove. When i touched the Side of the Craft. All of a sudden the Craft tilted slightly leftward. I turned and Felt a scorching pain around my Chest my shirt and my undershirt were afire. A Sharp beam of heat had shot from the Craft. I Tore off my shirt and undershirt and threw them to the ground. My Chest was severely burned. When i looked Back at the ship i Felt a sudden Rush of air around me. The Craft was rising above the treetops. It began to change Colour and shape following much the same pattern As its sister ship when it had returned to the sky. Soon the Craft had disappeared gone without a Trace. At the time Charest seemed lukewarm to much of their hard line talk especially on tax cuts. But now just eight months later he is working himself into a lather Selling a to per cent Cut in personal income taxes one of the main planks in the platform. In his speeches he pounds the podium for added effect As he trumpets tax cuts As a Way to create jobs and build a stronger Economy. Later he even tells reporters a i done to know of any tax that i would describe As being a helpful tax a a a startling claim from someone who helped bring in the get. Charest a conversion to tax Cut crusader has been criticized As a blatant attempt to out Reform Reform in Hopes of bringing Home the right Wing vote. But Charest explains his new position this Way a the whole Issue of tax cuts is one i have evolved toward and warmed up to. It has taken certainly a lot of careful thinking for me to be Able to reconcile that with other objectives we have in our platform like balancing the budget. A i have had to listen very carefully but the platform is very much a reflection of what i but is it what Charest believes a and its what i believe and what i hear and what we have Learned and How the country has Goodman answers the question of whether Charest has changed his political tune this Way. A with the present state of the Economy any Leader is similar to the others because we Are limited in our options a Goodman said. A perhaps in another time he would be a red but there is one Issue that Charest will not Trade off. National Unity has become one of the better cards in Charest a hand and one he will play All the Way to june 2. The Man who headed up a parliamentary committee trying to find Middle ground on the Meech Lake Accord and then saw his Star Rise during the Quebec referendum has spared nothing in his National Unity attacks on prime minister Jean Chretien and Reform Leader Preston Manning. A i see myself As someone who has a Mission of connecting the majority of francophone in Quebec who want the country to work with other canadians a said Charest who was born on Quebec a High Holiday St. Jean Baptiste Day. Peter White worked in the prime ministers office during the mul Roney years and said Charest has clearly emerged As the natural federalist Leader in Quebec. White said he understands Quebec a better than any other Leader and unlike Chretien would find a Way to make Quebec feel at Home in Canada. While Charest did no to enter politics to save the country White said it is a Job he has readily accepted. A the understands viscerally that confrontation will result in rupture a White said. The Tim Horton a doughnut shop near Cole Harbour n.s., Wasny to on the Campaign itinerary but Charest wants to see if he can Roll up the rim to win. The bus stops Charest Steps out and starts doing what he does Best a connecting with people. Smiling while making Small talk somehow seems like something More when Charest works the crowd. As he shakes hand after hand its Clear Charest has won Over another voter. Shelley a name tag tells everyone she is the supervisor at Tim Horton a but its her eyes that show she is suddenly Star struck. A a in a just a Little bit nervous Quot she says As she clutches one of those cardboard throwaway cameras hoping to get a picture of the tory Leader. Quickly spotting Shelley the supervisor Charest does her one better directing events so she will have the picture taken with him. Afterwards As the Charest entourage moves on Shelley is asked what it is about Charest that she likes. A the seems to be a Nice easy going Guy who listens to people and people want that a she says. When asked if she would have Ever wanted her picture taken with mul Roney Shelley quickly shakes her head As she grimaces. So score another one for Charest. Voter by voter he a managing to get people to forget about Mulroney. But will that be enough on june 2? three decades later people Are still talking about what Steve Michalak saw in the sky near Falcon Lake by Paul Mckie staff reporter one morn ing 30 years ago this week an Amateur geologist went scouting near Falcon Lake for Rock samples. At about noon the cackling of surprised geese made the Winnipeg Ger look toward the sky where he saw something that propelled him into the annals of ufos watchers worldwide. Steve Michalak was a 50-year-old Industrial Mechanic who was Chipping away at Quartz that Day. When he looked up he saw two glowing Oval shaped Craft descending. One of the Craft hovered just above the surface of the Flat Rock Michalak stood on. Michalak approached the Craft which he immediately believed to be an experimental . Aircraft and touched it. The Craft suddenly tilted and took off setting fire to Michalakos shirt and undershirt. He looked at his Glove and noticed it too was Burnt where he had touched the Craft. The unidentified flying object ufos then disappeared and left a lifetime of mysteries behind As to what really happened on that Rock at Falcon Lake on May 20,1967. Michalak is now 80 and suffering from various ailments. His wife says he no longer talks to the Media. Their son Stan Michalak a graphic artist and former broadcaster says he remembers the Media circus vividly and How reporters hounded his family. He also says a mythology has grown up around what happened to his father. A the legend is a lot bigger than the actual Story a says Stan. Experts from Canada and the United states arrived to investigate Michalakos claims. Was it an experimental aircraft was it of extra terrestrial origin was it a hoax the polish immigrant who had survived nazi concentration Camps and strive for a stable family existence in Winnipeg found himself in the Middle of a controversy that remains unresolved. De Barker is producer at the Manitoba museum of Man and natures planetarium and provincial director for the Mutual ufos network Muon. Barker also has the distinction of being one of the investigators of the incident As part of an Amateur group called Aerial phenomenon research organization. A it was very big a Barker recalls. A a it a still one of the most important ones that a been Barker who produced a planetarium film about the incident a few years ago says the Rump the Roaf and the . Air Force All had investigators at Falcon Lake. Chris Rutkowski is a science writer and ufos researcher. He a known the Michalak family since he was in elementary school. He appeared on camera with Michalak in 1989 for an episode of tvs unsolved mysteries. Rutkowski says that it was amazing to see Michalak recount the tale for the cameras in a steady Undra Matic Way. A everyone just stopped talking on the set and just listened a says Rutkowski. A people Are realizing this is one of the greatest cases in North a this Case was actually discussed in the House of commons at least three times a says Rutkowski. The Case will show up again next year on a new a amp a special on ufos incidents evidence that this Case wont go away. Barker says Michalak was investigated by 12 doctors to Check out the mysterious second and third degree Burns. He went to the Mayo clinic. Barker says the clinic concluded the Burns were caused by an unidentified chemical substance absorbed by the body under extreme pressure. Rutkowski said a Mayo psychiatrist examined Michalak and concluded he Wasny to prone to fabricating stories. Rutkowski who has written extensively about the incident says ramp records show the mounties deliberately got Michalak drunk to see if he would alter his Story or admit the there were and Are sceptics. A few weeks after the incident Michalak was unable to find the site with the authorities. A year later radioactive Metal fragments were discovered at the site. Barker says initial investigations had indicated nothing More than background radiation and no fragments. The Metal turned out to be Silver exposed to uranium 235. Rutkowski says there s Little doubt the Metal was a hoax although no evidence links it to Michalak. As for the entire incident Rutkowski says if it was a hoax it was an elaborate one. Stan says his father is incapable of concocting such a hoax. Indeed Michalak never called the Craft a flying Saucer or linked it to extra terrestrials. Later in 1967, he published a pamphlet explaining the incident and the aftermath. Stan says his father was changed by the incident mostly because his Trust of authority figures like the armed forces was forever shattered. He says his father never understood Why people were doubting him. A even to this Day he says a i never should have said a word a a a says Stan. A there Are a lot of unanswered questions a says Rutkowski. A we still done to know what exactly he says two recent books have come to disparate conclusions. A new Book on Canadian ufos cases based on National research Council data by department of National defence Engineer Palmiro Campagna concludes Michalak saw an experimental Craft. Campagna a assertion is that Michalak saw a a flying car originally designed by Avro and abandoned Only to be taken up in secret again by the . Government. But a . Book based on . Air Force data says it was a hoax. Rutkowski notes that ironically the . Air Force itself officially lists the incident As Barker says 98 per cent of All ufos sightings Are explained away by natural occurrences. But the Michalak sighting has never been explained. Quot its still a mystery a says Barker. A the obviously saw ;