# Trudeau: Warplane shot down object over northern Canada \[2/11/2023\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637 "2023-02-11T22:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/41 "2023-02-12T19:36:49Z")
They’ve twigged our secret plan to convert Canada back to feet and inches. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/42 "2023-02-12T19:57:25Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > +3 > seems like “standard procedure” … i worked for multinationals in food-business, to the same rules … > > Don’t talk unless authorized - and refer them to PR. +4. I worked in tech, and sometimes did interviews as a technical expert on a product we were trying to sell. You only taked when authorized and with a PR person in the room. (This was pre-Zoom.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/43 "2023-02-12T21:21:57Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > +4. I worked in tech, and sometimes did interviews as a technical expert on a product we were trying to sell. You only taked when authorized and with a PR person in the room. Same. The only time I talked to the media was at formal organized press events when specifically asked to do so. Typically a marketing manager and PR person would be present, at a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/44 "2023-02-12T21:26:05Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Things a spy balloon could discover in Canada: > > 1. Secret Bob and Doug McKenzie “Great White North” tree fort > 2. Recipe for Beavertails 1. Activate NORAD defense radars and record radar signature, strength, location… information useful to learn how to avoid or jam our radar in the future. The one thing satellites can’t do that balloons can is active our defenses so that we show our hand. This is a very old technique and there are aircraft designed to do this, but balloons don’t shout ‘threat’ the way aircraft do and may not even be shot down. But my guess is that the last two objects are mundane weather balloons or something, and that they were shot down because we are in a bit of a panic. It reminds me of the incident off of LA in WWII where people started seeing enemy aircraft everywhere after a false report. The movie ‘1941’ was loosely based on it. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/45 "2023-02-12T21:30:36Z")
Latest: yet another “object” was shot down today on the US side of Lake Huron. Is this now the fourth, or is it the fifth? It’s a bloody epidemic! Just heard this on the car radio, there’s nothing on the CBC website yet. Also, casual mentions by various officials seem to suggest that all these objects so far are balloons – either confirmed or suspected. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > But my guess is that the last two objects are mundane weather balloons or something, and that they were shot down because we are in a bit of a panic. That’s possibly one explanation for why there’s a sudden rash of them. Or else China is up to something nefarious. Regardless, the two (at least) that were said to be at around 40,000 feet (and could easily drop lower) were definitely a threat to aviation even if they were weather balloons. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/46 "2023-02-12T21:39:28Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Latest: yet another “object” was shot down today on the US side of Lake Huron. Is this now the fourth, or is it the fifth? Fourth, according to the news stories I’ve seen. China’s claiming to have an “unknown flying object” of its own, now. [https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/china-prepares-to-shoot-down-unknown-flying-object-near-coast/ar-AA17oC2T](https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/china-prepares-to-shoot-down-unknown-flying-object-near-coast/ar-AA17oC2T) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/47 "2023-02-12T21:41:38Z")
We are going to have to start some sort of numbering system. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/48 "2023-02-12T21:45:18Z")
may I suggest: yyyy-mm-dd/1234 ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/49 "2023-02-12T21:47:10Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Fourth, according to the news stories I’ve seen. In terms of shootdowns, one weather/spy balloon and three UFOs. Wikipedia now has a list of list of high-altitude object events in 2023: > **[List of high-altitude object events in 2023](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-altitude_object_events_in_2023)** > > Several high-altitude airspace security events were reported in February 2023, initially over North America, then over Latin America, China, and Eastern Europe. > After the sightings of a Chinese balloon in 2023 (later shot down off the coast of South Carolina), the U.S. began more closely scrutinizing its airspace at high altitudes, including by radar enhancements that allowed the U.S. to better categorize and track slower-moving objects. General Glen VanHerck, the commander of NORAD, said tha... ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/50 "2023-02-12T21:49:49Z")
From the cited article: > After the news broke that China was preparing to shoot down an object, Hu Xijin, a wn nationalist commentator in China, wrote on Twitter: “This year can be called the year of UFO. It’s so mysterious.” It’s not “mysterious” at all, since China is the likely source of all of them. China pretending to get involved in the shooting-down game is likely an attempt at deflecting blame. The only other western adversary that would have any interest in spy balloons is Russia, and they’re kinda busy right now. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/51 "2023-02-12T21:53:28Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Latest: yet another “object” was shot down today on the US side of Lake Huron. Now this location makes me wonder. Assuming for the moment this is something nefarious being done by a state level actor, this makes me think of two bad things: 1. If this came from outside North America from Bad State X (BSX), it made it all the way to Lake Huron, pretty much right in the middle of North American, before being detected. That’s kind of bad. 2. If this didn’t come directly from BSX, then it was launched undetected from somewhere inside of North America by agents of BSX. That’s a different kind of bad. Best case scenario, there’s some weather geek in Manitoba or Northern Ontario who is mourning the loss of his balloon, while keeping his head down and hoping no one comes knocking on his door asking him WTF he was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/52 "2023-02-12T22:01:51Z")
CNN now has the story about the Lake Huron incident: > **[US military shoots down high-altitude object over Lake Huron on Sunday | CNN...](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/politics/lake-huron-high-altitude-object/index.html)** > > The US military shot down another high-altitude object over Lake Huron on Sunday afternoon, according to a US official and a congressional source briefed on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/53 "2023-02-12T22:11:37Z")
The Canadian defense minister described the Yukon UFO as cylindrical, which is a little weird. Sounds more like an actual alien craft. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/54 "2023-02-12T22:15:05Z")
Yay, NPR, in their 4PM eastern hourly news broadcast, actually said “unidentified flying object” in the story. After reading the debate in this thread about whether to call them UFOs, I’m so chuffed. 🙂 Looks like there’s no text transcript: > **[NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-12-2023 4PM ET](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUwMDAwNS9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA/episode/ZjVkNjdiZWMtMzZjZi00N2I3LTgwMTgtOTk5ZTFjYmY4OTEw?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjMw7_ZgJH9AhWRD1kFHbIjAcEQieUEegQICBAF&ep=6)** > > NPR News: 02-12-2023 4PM ET ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/55 "2023-02-12T22:15:06Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Best case scenario, there’s some weather geek in Manitoba or Northern Ontario who is mourning the loss of his balloon, while keeping his head down and hoping no one comes knocking on his door asking him WTF he was thinking. I wouldn’t want to be that guy, if any of those objects happened to be the work of some local yokel. Both the FBI and RCMP are investigating the Yukon object. Creating a potentially lethal hazard to aviation is not something that is taken lightly. Creating a hazard to aviation for the purpose of espionage even less so. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/56 "2023-02-12T22:17:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The Canadian defense minister described the Yukon UFO as cylindrical, which is a little weird. Seems pretty obvious to me. We had 'Omuamua in 2017, and “the Ramans do everything in threes.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/57 "2023-02-12T22:23:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The Canadian defense minister described the Yukon UFO as cylindrical, which is a little weird. Sounds more like an actual alien craft. Or a blimp, which would be more maneuverable than a simple balloon. Or a visiting craft from the VY Canis Majoris system, who came in peace and are now _ **really** _ pissed at us. ETA: It occurs to me that if aliens from some distant planet picked this exact moment to pay a friendly visit to Earth, it would be epic bad timing! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/58 "2023-02-12T22:38:25Z")
My question: does Trudeau come out of this looking better or worse than before? He gets dramatic headlines, confirms a working and important relationship with the US, gets ammunition against his being soft on certain countries. We will not soon learn what the government found out in advance about it, if they were even able to detect other ones (including the one previously in the US), whether this is more than a storm in a teacup, how much this cost or what they will learn from the remnants. The good news, however, is that using a chatbot one is able to procure a recipe for beavertails. A lot of things are cylindrical shaped. However, studies suggest Pringles cannot fly. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/59 "2023-02-12T22:44:00Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > My question: does Trudeau come out of this looking better or worse than before? I’d say it had no impact on how he is perceived. He’s taking credit for doing just exactly what was expected of any PM in that situation, nothing more. And the close working relationship with the US is not something that needs constant reminders. > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > The good news, however, is that using a chatbot one is able to procure a recipe for beavertails. You, however, are duly noted as having an obsession with beavertails. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637/60 "2023-02-12T22:47:43Z")
True enough. My silly comments do not imply there may be serious reasons someone would do this, getting the information you suggest. However, that does not necessarily make it wise, or the only way of getting information. Whether one might detect these is one thing. What to do about it is another. If the Party Chairman has to attend his daughter’s wedding in four months, then no wonder he is suddenly concerned about the global weather patterns in fifty countries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-over-northern-canada-2-11-2023/979637.md?page=4)