In April of 1975, something extraordinary started happening in Carman, and the whole town couldn’t stop talking about it. Charlie Red Star became a household name almost overnight, and 50 years later, the public is still scratching its heads over what Charlie was.
On April 10, 1975, Bob and Elaine Diemert were walking from their farmhouse to their private airfield in Carman and saw a big red light coming at them. It had a dome on top and was pulsing. The unidentified flying object flew towards them from the west, then veered north, travelling just above the treetops at about 50 km/h.
The Diemerts continued to see saucer-shaped objects a few more times. Then, starting May 7, 1975, nightly sightings began for months. Locals gathered at the couple’s field for UFO-watching parties and to spot “Charlie Red Star” as it skimmed over trees on the horizon before soaring overhead.
So many people lined the gravel roads near Carman that they caused traffic jams, as ads in the local newspapers urged readers to shop where Charlie Red Star shops.
The experience is why Carman is listed second to Winnipeg in the number of UFO sightings in Manitoba over the last 200 years. There were 767 in Winnipeg and 53 in Carman, with most of those reports recorded during the height of the Charlie Red Star craze.
For those who want to learn more about Charlie Red Star, several podcasts are available on YouTube and a 2017 book by Grant Cameron, “Charlie Red Star: True Reports of One of North America’s Biggest UFO Sightings.”
Author Grant Cameron was in Carman then, witnessed Charlie Red Star many times, and led tours for others to see for themselves. He also heard rumours of nuclear testing south of the Canada-U.S. border, which might have caused the unexplained phenomena sighted in the upper atmosphere.
Several community groups have recently joined together to form a Charlie Red Star Anniversary Committee and are planning a 50th Anniversary Launch Party this April, sponsored by Trish Middleton-REMAX Valleyview Realty. The party will be held on April 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Golden Prairie Arts Council (GPAC) in Carman. It is open to everyone and looks to be a ton of fun.
If you can’t make it on April 10, the good news is that the Launch Party won’t be the only event planned for this Charlie Red Star 50th anniversary.
There will also be a Movie in the Park at Ryall Park in June, a disc golf tournament in August, the printing of T-shirts and sweatshirts, and the development of a documentary. Local schools in Carman are also getting involved, and copies of the book about Charlie Red Star will be available throughout the rest of the year.
