Stop A‑OTHR on farmland

AI summary

Petitioners ask the Government to stop A‑OTHR construction on 288 hectares in Clearview, prevent further farmland purchases, and register land with Ontario Farmland Trust. The government responds that DND deems Clearview necessary and will mitigate.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. 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

Response by the Minister of National Defence Signed by Sherry Romanado National Defence (DND) is implementing the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) program in southern Ontario, as a key part of Canada’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization plan. We aim to deliver defence capabilities and implement projects in a manner that is inclusive for all Canadians, with input from Indigenous, intergovernmental, and community partners. DND is committed to maintaining strong relationships with local communities as we implement these NORAD modernization efforts. As?the global security environment becomes increasingly dangerous and unpredictable, and as our competitors develop new technologies like hypersonic weapons and advanced cruise missiles, there is a pressing need to modernize Canada’s NORAD capabilities. A-OTHR will greatly enhance NORAD and the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) ability to detect threats in our Northern airspace and approaches. This long-range early warning radar capability will support more timely and effective decision making to deter and defend against military threats to Canada, including reinforcing Canada’s security and sovereignty in the Arctic. DND's siting analysis for A-OTHR is driven by a set of complex and inflexible requirements. These include parcel size, latitude, orientation, distance separation between parcels, environmental conditions and constraints, and adjacent land use. Potential sites must be located in southern Ontario, south of the 46th?parallel north. As a frame of reference, this latitude roughly aligns with the?Trans-Canada?Highway within the province of Ontario. Potential sites must also: be located in a remote, flat and dry area; be located in a remote, flat and dry area; have limited environmental conditions and constraints; have limited environmental conditions and constraints; meet minimum and maximum distance separation requirements; meet minimum and maximum distance separation requirements; be a suitable distance from radio noise sources; and be a suitable distance from radio noise sources; and be close to electrical power sources. be close to electrical power sources. In July 2023, prior to acquiring the sites in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, and Clearview Township, Ontario, a notice was posted on the CanadaBuys website and in community newspapers to inform property owners of DND’s interest to buy land in southern Ontario. Property owners had until August 31, 2023, to confirm their interest. DND began its site selection process by reviewing existing DND properties, followed by other federal lands, before considering private parcels. Hundreds of potential sites were analyzed against stringent technical criteria, including parcel size, topography, spacing requirements, and radio-frequency environment to ensure optimal radar performance. DND-owned lands within the acceptable project area were deemed unsuitable based on environmental and topographical constraints and unacceptable operational risk given that they are busy training establishments responsible for preparing thousands of military personnel annually across a wide range of disciplines. In addition, DND reached out to private landowners, Indigenous communities, other federal government departments, and the Province of Ontario to assess A-OTHR siting opportunities. The siting options that arose out of these discussions were deemed to be unsuitable for the program. To advance the A-OTHR program, DND implemented a staged approach, whereby Stage 1 will construct a full-sized permanent transmit site and a preliminary receive site that will deliver an initial radar capability earlier than the full capability. To this end, DND proceeded with the purchase of privately owned land parcels listed on the open market for use as a transmit site in Kawartha Lakes, and a preliminary receive site in Clearview Township, Ontario. To inform the siting analysis for the future stages of the A-OTHR program, a survey of interest was distributed in July 2025 to owners in the municipality of Clearview to assess their interest in selling their property to DND. We continue to assess siting options for the remaining transmit and permanent receive sites for the installation of the full A-OTHR capability. DND also acknowledges the sensitivities raised regarding the Minesing Wetlands, and the department intends to avoid or mitigate impacts wherever possible. The decision to locate the preliminary receive site on agricultural land was not taken lightly. An exhaustive search for suitable sites was conducted over several years. The site in Clearview Township met DND’s operational requirements and was deemed the best option available. The siting analysis for the two permanent receive sites is still ongoing and no decision has yet been made.