Stop A-OTHR sites on farmland
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to stop building A-OTHR sites on already purchased land, block future A-OTHR acquisitions and construction on Clearview prime farmland, and register the purchased property with the Ontario Farmland Trust.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would stop construction on bought land and help protect prime farmland and the Minesing wetlands from conversion, preserving local agriculture and ecosystems.
- It prevents further DND acquisitions and nearby development, reducing disruption to farming communities and local land use.
- Registering with the Ontario Farmland Trust would legally preserve agricultural status, creating a formal barrier against future conversion.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Blocking construction could impede national defence planning since it would prevent use of land the DND purchased for A-OTHR infrastructure.
- Forcing the DND to find alternative sites could increase costs, delay radar deployment and require longer searches for suitable locations.
- Placing purchased federal property under a farmland trust may limit the government's flexibility to meet future security or other public needs.
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.