Stop A‑OTHR on Clearview farmland
Petitioners ask the Government to stop building any A‑OTHR site on the 288 hectares already purchased, ban acquisition and construction on a further 1,050+ hectares of Clearview farmland, and register the bought property with the Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve its agricultural status.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would halt construction on the 288 hectares already bought and block further acquisition of 1,050+ hectares, protecting prime farmland and overlapping Minesing wetlands from conversion.
- Registering the property with the Ontario Farmland Trust provides a concrete mechanism to preserve agricultural status and limit future development.
- It defends local landowners and agricultural continuity by preventing loss of productive land and preserving local environmental values.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Restricting site options may impede necessary defence infrastructure; national security needs could justify locating A‑OTHR facilities in this region.
- Banning acquisitions and construction could force more costly or less suitable alternatives, delaying the radar program or reducing capability.
- Registering federally acquired land with a provincial trust could create legal and operational conflicts and may not fully prevent future federal use.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas: -The Department of National Defense (DND) has purchased 288 hectares (700+ acres) of prime farmland, overlapping the Minesing Wetlands, to build a Preliminary Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A- OTHR) Receive Site in Clearview Township; and -DND has also sent mail to residents to potentially purchase another 2600+ acres (1050+ hectares) of prime farmland in Clearview Township to build 2 Permanent Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A- OTHR) Receive Sites. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: Stop the building of any A-OTHR site on the already purchased property; Prevent future acquisition of prime farmland and the building of any A-OTHR sites on the prime farmland of Clearview Township; and Register the previously purchased property with the Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve its agricultural status.
Government response
No government response is available yet.