Stop A‑OTHR on Clearview farmland
Petitioners ask the Government to stop A‑OTHR construction on purchased Clearview farmland, prevent further acquisition or A‑OTHR development on Clearview prime farmland, and register the purchased land with the Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve agricultural status.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would stop military construction on farmland already bought in Clearview, preventing further loss of productive land and overlap with the Minesing Wetlands.
- Registering the land with the Ontario Farmland Trust would strengthen legal protection for farming use and help keep the land in agriculture.
- Preventing future acquisitions and builds would limit conversion of Clearview’s prime farmland to non‑agricultural military uses, preserving local land‑use priorities.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Defence planners may argue that A‑OTHR sites are needed for national security, so restricting sites could impede operational capabilities.
- Banning further acquisitions or builds could constrain options for siting critical infrastructure, forcing costlier or less effective alternatives.
- Registering federally acquired land with a farmland trust may be legally complex or conflict with federal property and defence procurement rules.
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.