Stop A-OTHR on Clearview farmland
Petitioners ask the Government to stop building A‑OTHR receive sites on purchased Clearview farmland, prevent further A‑OTHR acquisitions or construction on Clearview prime farmland, and register the purchased land with the Ontario Farmland Trust.
Why we would sign this petition
- Protects prime farmland and the Minesing Wetlands by halting conversion to military infrastructure, preserving soil, water and local agricultural livelihoods.
- Prevents irreversible loss of high‑quality agricultural land and nearby ecosystems caused by construction and associated access or utility works.
- Securing the land with the Ontario Farmland Trust would legally reinforce its agricultural status and reduce future development risk.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Could reduce national defence monitoring capacity if A‑OTHR site options are constrained, potentially affecting Arctic surveillance needs.
- A blanket ban on acquisitions or construction may be impractical where defence requires specific locations and suitable alternatives are limited.
- Using a farmland trust may complicate defence land management and negotiations; targeted mitigation, compensation, or relocation might better balance security and conservation.
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.