DND says Meaford can’t support radar, advocacy group questions why massive industrial project can

A No DND Radar sign is pictured on Tues., Feb. 10, 2026. (CTV News/Luke Simard)

A local advocacy group is calling on the government after the Department of National Defence (DND) ruled out Meaford, Ont., as a site for a key Arctic radar system, while a far larger energy project remains under consideration in the same area.

Save Georgian Bay says this decision highlights what it calls a ‘troubling inconsistency’ in how the federal government evaluates major projects at the Meaford Tank Range.

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According to DND’s site selection criteria for its Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar program, Meaford was eliminated early in the process due to environmental sensitivity, complex terrain, and its critical role as a high‑tempo military training facility.

The department says those factors would limit the site’s ability to support critical defence infrastructure.

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But the same location is now being considered for a proposed $7 billion pumped storage project by TC Energy, a 400-acre development that the groups says would involve far more explicit concerns.

“The proposed Pumped Storage Project would bring years of blasting, excavation, and industrial construction,” states members of Save Georgian Bay.

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The advocacy group says it would also bring increased truck traffic, shoreline disturbance, and potential exposure of military contaminants, raising concerns on both the environment and training operations.

Save Georgian Bay argues that if the site cannot handle a radar installation, it should not be considered suitable for a major industrial development.

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“These impacts are far more extensive than a radar installation — yet the disqualifying criteria used by DND are inexplicably not being applied to this megaproject," the group said in a statement, calling on DND to clarify.

The group is also urging Meaford council to explain why one project was noted ‘incompatible with the base’ while another, significantly larger, continues to move forward.

Save Georgian Bay is a nonprofit advocating for environmental protection, responsible energy practices, and public safety throughout the Georgian Bay watershed.