Stop A-OTHR on Clearview farmland
Petitioners ask Ottawa to stop A-OTHR construction on purchased Clearview farmland, bar further farmland acquisition or A-OTHR development in Clearview, and register the purchased land with Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve agricultural status.
Why we would sign this petition
- It halts construction and registers the land, preserving prime farmland and the Minesing Wetlands from conversion to military use.
- It protects local agricultural productivity and keeps land available for future farming and community use.
- Registering with the Ontario Farmland Trust provides a legal mechanism to preserve agricultural status and limit future development.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A-OTHR sites serve national defence; banning construction or acquisitions could hinder military capability or operational readiness.
- Federal defence requirements and powers over property may conflict with provincial trust registration, complicating implementation.
- Targeted mitigation or alternative sites might better balance defence needs and farmland protection than an outright prohibition.
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.