Stop A‑OTHR on Clearview farmland

AI summary

Petitioners ask the government to stop A‑OTHR construction and land purchases on Clearview farmland, and to register the acquired property with Ontario Farmland Trust. The government responds it will use the site and not register.

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 The Honourable David J. McGuinty The Department of National Defence (DND) is implementing the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) program, part of a key North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization initiative. The full A-OTHR capability will consist of four antenna arrays (two transmit and two receive sites) and supporting infrastructure and will extend NORAD and the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) situational awareness into the Canadian North and North Atlantic, critical for the defence of Canada. 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; be located in a remote, flat and dry area; have limited environmental conditions and constraints; meet minimum and maximum distance separation requirements; be a suitable distance from radio noise sources; and be close to electrical power sources. In July 2023, prior to acquiring the Kawartha Lakes and Clearview Township sites, Public Services and Procurement Canada posted a notice on CanadaBuys 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 with PSPC. The Department of National Defence (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 initial, limited radar capabilities 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, Ontario, 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. With regards to the demands of the petition: DND acknowledges the concerns raised by the community regarding the use of agricultural land. To implement preliminary A-OTHR capability by 2029, as part of Canada’s commitment to NORAD and for the defence of Canada, the department must proceed with establishing a receive site on the previously acquired property. DND will therefore not register the property with the Ontario Farmland Trust. DND also acknowledges the sensitivities raised regarding the Minesing Wetlands, and the department intends to avoid or mitigate impacts wherever possible. With respect to any potential future land requirements, no decisions have yet been made. Siting analysis is underway and potential sites must meet the stringent and inflexible project requirements referenced above. DND is therefore not able to commit to avoiding the acquisition of prime farmland. The department acknowledges the sensitivity of this issue and remains committed to continuing open dialogue with the community, local officials, stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders as planning progresses.