The 1967 Ontario UFO Incident: When Strange Lights Terrified Animals & Puzzled Police
On the chilly night of November 5, 1967, a series of unexplained events unfolded across several small communities in Ontario, Canada. What began as unusual animal behavior quickly escalated into something more mysterious as multiple witnesses reported strange orange lights in the sky. These communities, situated just minutes apart from one another, would become linked by an extraordinary sequence of sightings that left both witnesses and investigators puzzled.
The incident garnered attention when the Sue St. Marie Star newspaper published accounts from local residents on November 18, 1967. Reports described a crescent-shaped craft approximately 100 feet in diameter that moved in erratic patterns, hovering about 30 meters above ground. Most notably, the object's appearance coincided with unusual animal behavior and left a lingering smell of sulfur according to responding Ontario Provincial Police officers. Unfortunately, one horse died from injuries sustained while apparently fleeing in terror, leaving a lasting impact on the small rural community.
Key Takeaways
Multiple witnesses across three neighboring Ontario communities reported seeing a strange orange glowing object in the sky on November 5, 1967.
The unidentified object caused extreme fear reactions in animals, particularly horses, with one fatally injured after breaking through an electric fence.
Ontario Provincial Police investigated the sightings and detected a sulfur smell at one location, but the case remains unexplained to this day.
Ontario Mystery Sighting
Areas Impacted
The November 5, 1967 incident affected three closely connected communities in rural Ontario, all within approximately a 10-minute drive of each other. Thessalon was the first location where unusual activity was reported. Livingston Creek area became the second point of contact, situated along Highway 17. Sobury rounded out the affected region, representing the easternmost community where strange phenomena were documented.
Timeline of Events
Thessalon - Early Evening
Farmer Rudy Boyer was inside his home when he heard his horse acting unusually distressed
Boyer ventured outside in the cold darkness to find his normally calm horse running frantically in the field
Despite searching the area, Boyer found nothing that could explain his horse's abnormal behavior
Highway 17 Near Livingston - Shortly After
Terry Good Murphy (20) and Steven Griffin (19) spotted an orange glow while driving west
The young men pulled over twice to observe the object moving in unusual patterns
The object, described as crescent-shaped and approximately 100 feet in diameter, approached their vehicle
Both men reported their hair "standing on end" during the close encounter
Frightened, they backed their car down the highway before turning around to escape
They reported the incident to Ontario Provincial Police at a nearby restaurant
Sobury - Later That Evening
Lauren Wulmouth and his wife Edith observed a "fiery ball of light" hovering over their farm
Police investigating the area detected a strong sulfur odor but found no physical evidence of the craft
The next morning, Wulmouth discovered one of his horses (Fury) had a long cut on its neck
His second horse (Susie) was missing, with the electric fence torn down at the property's edge
Susie was later found deceased in the forest with a fatal gash that had severed her jugular vein
Evidence suggested the horses had panicked and crashed through the fence, likely frightened by the unidentified object
The local newspaper, Sue St. Marie Star, published accounts of these events in their November 18, 1967 issue, documenting the unexplained phenomena that disrupted these small Ontario communities.
Witness Testimonies and Strange Occurrences
Rudy Boyer's Night Experience
On the cold evening of November 5, 1967, farmer Rudy Boyer was resting after completing his daily tasks when his attention was drawn to unusual sounds coming from outside. His horse, typically calm and well-behaved, was acting strangely. Boyer quickly dressed and ventured into the chilly darkness to investigate.
What he discovered was alarming. His mare was running frantically around the field in an agitated state. "It went wild," Boyer later told a reporter from the Sue St. Marie Star. Despite his best efforts, calming the horse proved challenging.
Boyer was convinced something had frightened his animal, though a thorough search of the surrounding area revealed nothing unusual. This incident in Thessalon would later be connected to other strange events that occurred the same night in nearby communities, all within a short driving distance of each other in Ontario.
Young Men's Highway Encounter
That same evening, twenty-year-old Terry Good Murphy of North Livingston and his nineteen-year-old friend Steven Griffin were traveling west on Highway 17 East when they noticed an unusual orange glow in the sky as they crested Maple Ridge Hill. Initially thinking it might be a fire or aircraft explosion, they were surprised when the object began moving in an erratic pattern.
Intrigued by this strange phenomenon, the young men pulled over to observe what they simply called "the thing." After watching briefly, they decided to continue driving but stopped again approximately three-quarters of a mile down the road when the object appeared to halt before rapidly approaching them.
What had seemed like a simple ball of orange light from a distance soon took on a more defined shape. "The craft was taking a definite shape," Terry later recounted. "We were close to Leonard Triver's Field and there was no traffic on the road. The thing was about 100 ft in diameter judging by the distance it was from us."
The object appeared crescent-shaped and hovered approximately 30 meters above the ground. Neither young man recognized it as any conventional aircraft. The situation became more alarming when the object descended toward the highway, paused, then rose straight up and moved in their direction.
At this point, both Terry and Steven experienced a bizarre physical reaction—their hair began to stand on end. Frightened by this unexplainable phenomenon, they hastily backed their car down the highway before turning around and speeding eastward toward a nearby restaurant, believing they would be safer among other people.
The Woolmouth Family Observation
Simultaneously in Sudbury, Lauren Woolmouth was at home when he spotted a strange orange-red object resembling a fiery ball of light hovering over his pasture. He called his wife Edith to witness the unusual sight. Together, they watched as the "eerie moving glowing object" hovered over their farm before eventually disappearing from view.
The couple thought little more of the incident that night. However, the following morning, Lauren made a disturbing discovery. When calling his two standard bred horses to the barn for feeding, only Fury appeared. His other horse, Susie, was nowhere to be seen—unusual since the pair were always together.
Upon inspection, Lauren noticed a long cut on Fury's neck. Searching his property, he found that the electric fence at the back of his pasture had been torn out, suggesting the horses had crashed through it. With the help of family members, Lauren eventually located Susie several hours later in the forest, deceased with a deep gash on her neck that had severed her jugular vein.
Evidence suggested both horses had been frightened enough to break through the electric fence, with the fence wire likely causing the injuries observed on both animals. Lauren theorized that the strange object they had witnessed hovering over their farm the previous night had descended over the pasture, terrifying the horses into their fatal flight.
Police Investigation and Aftermath
After reaching the restaurant, Terry Good Murphy and Steven Griffin contacted the Ontario Provincial Police. Officers responded to the reported location but found no sign of the craft. They did, however, note a distinct smell of sulfur in the air where the sighting had occurred—a detail that would later interest UFO researchers who frequently report similar olfactory phenomena following such encounters.
The local press eventually published accounts of these strange incidents in the November 18, 1967 issue of the Sue St. Marie Star, connecting the experiences of Boyer, the two young men, and the Woolmouth family. The events of November 5th appeared to form a pattern, with the object moving eastward from Thessalon through Livingston Creek and finally to Sudbury.
The incidents remain unexplained to this day. Most of the witnesses have since passed away, including Lauren Woolmouth in 2001 and Rudy Boyer in 2005, taking their firsthand experiences of this mysterious night with them.
Highway 17 UFO Encounter
Good Murphy and Griffin's Roadside Observation
On the evening of November 5, 1967, Terry Good Murphy (20) from North Livingston and his friend Steven Griffin (19) experienced something extraordinary while driving west on Highway 17 East in Ontario. The young men initially noticed an orange glow in the sky as they came over Maple Ridge Hill. They briefly wondered if it might be a fire or aircraft explosion before the object began moving in unusual patterns.
Intrigued by the strange aerial phenomenon, they pulled over to observe. After continuing about three-quarters of a mile down the highway, they stopped again. At this point, the object appeared to halt momentarily before rapidly approaching their location near Leonard Triver's Field. The deserted road offered no other witnesses to what was unfolding.
As the object moved closer, both men experienced an alarming physiological effect - their hair began to stand on end. Frightened by this strange sensation and the object's behavior, they hastily backed their car down the highway before managing to turn around and speed eastward toward a nearby restaurant, seeking safety among other people.
Object Description and Behavior
The mysterious craft initially appeared as a simple orange ball of light in the distance. As it approached, Good Murphy described it taking a definite crescent shape, hovering approximately 30 meters above the ground. He estimated its diameter at about 100 feet, based on its distance from their position.
The object's movement pattern was particularly notable:
It descended toward the highway
Paused briefly
Rose straight up
Began traveling directly toward the young men
Neither witness could identify the craft as any conventional aircraft they recognized. The encounter was significant enough that the men reported it to the Ontario Provincial Police, who investigated the area. While officers found no physical evidence of the craft, they did note a distinctive sulfur smell lingering in the air at the reported sighting location.
This incident occurred in a region where other strange events were reported that same night, including unusual horse behavior at farms in Thessalon and Sobury, suggesting the object may have traveled in an easterly direction through these small, closely situated Ontario communities.
UFO Incident at Wulmouth Property
Lauren and Edith Wulmouth's Experience
On the evening of November 5, 1967, Lauren Wulmouth was relaxing at his home in Sobury, Ontario when he spotted something unusual through his window. Hovering above his pasture was a strange orange-red object that resembled a fiery ball of light. He quickly called his wife Edith to witness the phenomenon. Together, they observed this glowing object as it moved eerily across the sky above their farm before eventually disappearing from sight. While they found the sighting odd, the couple didn't think much more about it that night and returned to their evening activities.
Consequences and Findings
The following morning, Lauren made a disturbing discovery when only one of his two standard bred horses, Fury, responded to his call for feeding. Susie, the other horse, was nowhere to be found. This was highly unusual as the two animals were always together, including the previous night when Lauren had last seen them in the pasture. Upon closer inspection of Fury, Lauren noticed a concerning long cut on the horse's neck.
Further investigation revealed that the electric fence surrounding the pasture had been torn out in one section near the back of the property. It appeared the horses had crashed through it in panic. Lauren contacted family members for help, and after several hours of searching, they located Susie's body in the nearby forest. The horse had suffered a fatal deep gash to her neck that had severed the jugular vein. The broken electric fence wire was found approximately 100 feet from Susie's body, suggesting it had likely caused the fatal injury.
Lauren connected the strange object seen hovering over their farm to the horses' behavior. He reasoned that horses naturally fear fire, and if the object appeared as a fireball to humans, it would have seemed similarly threatening to the animals. The evidence suggested that both horses had been terrified enough by the mysterious craft to break through the electric fence in an attempt to escape, resulting in injuries consistent with the fence height and, tragically, Susie's death.
The incident was published in the November 18, 1967 issue of the Soo St. Marie Star newspaper, which documented this unexplained occurrence as part of a series of unusual sightings in the area that same night.
UFO Incident Investigation
Police Report
On November 5, 1967, two young men, Terry Good Murphy (20) and Steven Griffin (19), reported a strange aerial phenomenon to the Ontario Provincial Police. The friends were driving westbound on Highway 17 East when they noticed an orange glow in the sky over Maple Ridge Hill. Initially thinking it might be a fire or aircraft explosion, they became concerned when the object began moving in unusual patterns. They pulled over twice to observe it.
According to their statement, the object approached them directly. Murphy described it as "crescent-shaped," approximately 100 feet in diameter, hovering about 30 meters above the ground. As the object moved closer, both men experienced an unusual physical reaction—their hair "began to stand on end." Frightened by this development, they backed their car down the highway before turning around and speeding toward a nearby restaurant, believing they would be safer among other people.
Environmental Anomalies
When OPP officers arrived to investigate the location where Murphy and Griffin had their encounter, they found no physical evidence of the craft. However, they noted a distinct and unexplained odor of sulfur permeating the air around the reported sighting area. This detail was later published in the Sue St. Marie Star newspaper.
The sulfur smell represents one of the few physical traces left behind by the phenomenon. It's worth noting that this olfactory signature has been documented in other UFO encounters throughout history, creating an interesting pattern across similar cases.
This incident occurred during a night of multiple strange sightings across a small region of Ontario, with three separate communities—all within approximately a 10-minute drive of each other—reporting unusual aerial phenomena. In Sobury, Lauren and Edith Wulmouth also witnessed what they described as an "eerie moving glowing object in the sky" hovering over their farm the same evening.
Witness Accounts Compilation
Sue St. Marie Newspaper Report
The Sue St. Marie Star covered the unusual events of November 5, 1967, gathering testimonies from multiple witnesses across three neighboring communities in Ontario.
Farmer Rudy Boyer described to reporters how his normally docile horse became inexplicably agitated that evening. According to Boyer, he was resting at home when he heard his mare becoming distressed in the field. Upon investigation, he found the horse "running wild" and had considerable difficulty calming the animal down. Despite searching the area, Boyer couldn't determine what had frightened his horse.
Terry Good Murphy (20) and Steven Griffin (19) provided detailed accounts of their highway encounter. The young men spotted an orange glow while driving westward on Highway 17 East near Maple Ridge Hill. They initially thought it might be a fire or aircraft explosion until the object began moving strangely. After stopping twice to observe, they reported the object approached them directly:
"The craft was taking a definite shape... it was about 100 ft in diameter judging by the distance it was from us," Terry told the newspaper.
They described a crescent-shaped craft hovering approximately 30 meters above ground. The young men became alarmed when their "hair began to stand on end" as the object moved closer. Frightened, they backed their car down the highway before turning around and fleeing eastward toward a restaurant.
Lauren and Edith Wulmouth witnessed what they described to the Star as an "eerie moving glowing object" hovering over their Sobury farm pasture. The following morning, Lauren discovered only one of his two horses, Fury, came to the barn. The horse had a long cut on its neck. The electric fence had been torn through in one section of the property.
After searching with family members, they found their other horse, Susie, deceased in the forest with a severe neck wound that had severed the jugular vein. Electric fencing wire was found broken approximately 100 feet from the body.
Provincial police officers who investigated the Good Murphy and Griffin sighting location reported to the newspaper that a distinct sulfur smell lingered in the air where the object had reportedly been seen.
The Sue St. Marie Star published these accounts on November 18, 1967, connecting what appeared to be related incidents spanning the three small communities located just minutes apart from each other.
Later Developments
The events surrounding the mysterious orange lights over Ontario in November 1967 left lasting marks on the communities involved. While the strange occurrences remained unexplained, subsequent developments at some of the affected locations provide interesting context to this historical case.
Preservation Work at Wulmouth Property
The Wulmouth farm, site of one of the more tragic incidents of that November evening, became newsworthy again in 2023. A barn preservation organization launched efforts to save the large barn structure on the property in Soberry. The historical building had stood for decades following the incident that claimed the life of Susie, one of the Wulmouths' prized riding horses. Lauren Wulmouth, who witnessed the strange lights hovering over his pasture that night, passed away in 2001, and Rudy Boyer, another witness from a neighboring property, died in 2005.
Owl Population in the Barn
In an interesting development unrelated to the UFO incident, the Wulmouth barn became home to a significant owl population. According to Edith Wulmouth, the birds took up residence following the closure of Shoefelts General Store in the early 1950s. The barn had experienced a rat infestation after the store closed, and the owls naturally moved in to prey on the rodents. The Wulmouth family, grateful for the natural pest control, welcomed the birds and allowed them to establish a permanent home in the structure.
The owls remained long-term residents of the barn, with their presence becoming notable enough to factor into the preservation efforts decades later. This natural wildlife habitat became an additional reason for conservation groups to protect the historic structure in 2023.
Historical Impact and Aftermath
Witnesses Who Have Departed
The events of November 5, 1967, left an indelible mark on the small communities in Ontario, but time has taken many of those who experienced the strange phenomena. Lauren Woolmouth, who witnessed the glowing object over his farm and suffered the tragic loss of his horse Suzie, passed away in 2001. Rudy Boyer, the farmer who struggled to calm his frightened mare that same night, died in 2005.
The Woolmouth farm itself became noteworthy for other reasons in later years. In 2023, a barn preservation group attempted to save the large Woolmouth barn in Soberry. Interestingly, the structure had become home to numerous owls following the closure of a local general store in the early 1950s. After rats invaded the barn, the owls moved in and helped eliminate the pests, prompting the Woolmouths to welcome these natural predators permanently.
Unresolved Questions
The strange occurrences spanning three neighboring communities—approximately a 10-minute drive from each other—follow a curious easterly trajectory. The phenomenon appears to have first passed over Boyer's farm in Thessalon, where his horse reacted frantically. It then seemingly moved to Livingston Creek, where Terry Good Murphy and Steven Griffin encountered the object on Highway 17. Finally, it reached the Woolmouth farm in Soberry, where it potentially caused the horses to break through an electric fence with fatal consequences.
Several distinctive elements remain unexplained:
The orange glowing object described consistently by multiple witnesses
The sulfur smell reported by Ontario Provincial Police officers who investigated the site
The extreme fear response in animals across different locations
The object's apparent ability to hover, change direction, and approach witnesses
Despite newspaper coverage in the November 18, 1967 issue of the Sue St. Marie Star, no definitive explanation has emerged for what frightened the horses so severely or what the young men encountered on the highway. The proximity of events, consistent descriptions from unrelated witnesses, and the physical evidence of injured animals and broken fencing all suggest something unusual occurred that night, but its nature remains a mystery over five decades later.
