The world's first official UFO landing pad was built in the small Canadian prairie town of St Paul, in Alberta, Canada, and was formally opened on 3 June 1967 by the Hon. Paul Hellyer, Canada's then Minister of National Defence. The main column consists of six 75-cm-tall concrete pylons, and there is a map of Canada embossed on the back stop of the landing pad. A sign next to the pad reads as follows: “The area under the World's First UFO Landing Pad was designated international by the Town of St. Paul as a symbol of our faith that mankind will maintain the outer universe free from national wars and strife. That future travel in space will be safe for all intergalactic beings, all visitors from earth or otherwise are welcome to this territory and to the Town of St. Paul."