Ontario farm belt residents push back against DND plan for new radar site
Ontario farmers are fighting a Canadian military plan to scoop up top agricultural land for a new radar system that could feed into the Trump administration’s
Golden Dome missile defence shield
.
The Department of National Defence wants to acquire the land from the farm belt
near Wasaga Beach, Ont., for its Over-the-Horizon radar system
.
DND wants up to 1,620 hectares (4,000 acres) of land, local farmers and residents say.
They have banded together to fight the proposal and are questioning why the radar can’t be located at nearby Canadian Forces properties.
, comprising around 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres), is about 30 kilometres away from the proposed radar location.
The military also has another 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) nearby at Meaford, a training centre.
“Instead of locating (the radar) on their own properties, they want to take over some of the best farmland in Ontario,” said Rachel Brooks, who farms on land targeted by DND. “Someone should realize food security, providing food for our country, is just as important than a radar site.”
The farmers and other residents of Clearview Township are worried the federal government will expropriate their land if they do not agree to sell their properties.
Doug Measures, the mayor of Clearview Township, pointed out on Facebook that, if the DND radar site went ahead, “it will be a catastrophe for local agriculture and our community.”
Neither the Department of National Defence nor Canadian Forces would provide comment. It is unclear why the Canadian Forces can’t locate the radar system at its massive properties in the region.
Alice Hansen, communications director for Defence Minister David McGuinty, did not respond to a request for comment. McGuinty did not provide comment on whether he supported a move to expropriate the farmland for the DND facility.
Pushback to the radar site is growing in the area, with “No DND Radar in Clearview” signs popping up along roads.
Local resident Terri Jackman has started to gather signatures for a petition to be presented to the House of Commons in early 2026.
The transmission site for the first
(A-OTHR) will be built north of the city of Kawartha Lakes on 163 hectares of land already acquired by DND.
The
will be located on the agricultural land in Clearview Township.
The A-OTHR is expected to be initially operational by 2029, according to an earlier comment by DND spokesman Kened Sadiku.
DND expect to begin construction on the radars as early as 2026.
Canada’s Over the Horizon system is seen by the federal government as a key component of its North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) modernization plan and is expected to provide advanced early warning and enable faster detection of threats. It could also be offered to the United States as a contribution to President Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile shield.
The radar is supposed to detect incoming missiles over the Arctic.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on March 18 that Canada would purchase the new radar system from Australia, with the British firm BAE providing the technology.
DND originally estimated the cost of the over-the-horizon radar would be under $1 billion. In 2024, it estimated it could be as much as $3 billion.
Carney’s announcement put the cost at $6 billion, but there was no explanation for the significant increase.
Over-the-horizon radar has the ability to conduct surveillance at far greater ranges than regular radar technology as it extends the distance of its capabilities by bouncing signals off the ionosphere, a layer of Earth’s atmosphere that reflects radio waves. It’s estimated that the minimum range for the radar will be 500 kilometres, while the maximum range could be more than 3,000 kilometres. The system would also be able to track aircraft and surface ships.
Preparation will be required for each location, including flattening of the land and removal of any obstructions that would impede the radar’s signal, DND says. That includes the potential clearing of forested areas or filling of wetlands, the department noted. “
will have a radio frequency radiation hazard zone entirely contained within the site and be fenced to prevent access,” DND added on its website.
Local residents have also raised concerns about whether DND will impose a no-fly zone for the area because of the radar site. That could potentially affect Collingwood Regional Airport.
As for the effect on aviation, DND pointed out that officials with the radar project “will work with transportation authorities to put in place guidance and restrictions for affected airspace to keep human exposure to electromagnetic fields within the safe levels per the Health Canada standards.”
Landowners started to receive letters from DND in late July inquiring about whether they wanted to sell their properties. The letters were from Patrick Lebeau, acting director of real property services with the department’s assistant deputy minister for infrastructure and environment.
DND has held public engagement sessions about the project in Clearview Township, but residents have complained they received little information from defence officials during the process.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe
