From grassroots to Ottawa, radar system not welcomed in Clearview Township

The Department of National Defense is planning to install a massive radar facility in Clearview as part of Canada’s commitment to defence.

The Department of National Defense is planning to install a massive radar facility in Clearview as part of Canada’s commitment to defense and Clearview residents are pushing back.

Surrounded by farmland, Terri Jackman has lived in Clearview Township since 1988 and the view outside her window could soon change.

“There’s a gorgeous line of trees that the previous owners of the farm planted to help with the wind erosion on the soil and my understanding is they will have to cut them down in order for the radar towers to be able to receive the signals,” said Jackman.

Last summer, the Department of National Defense (DND) held a public engagement session in Creemore regarding their intent to install an Arctic-Over the Horizon Radar System (A-OTHR) part of Canada’s plan to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The DND has already purchased 700 acres adjacent to Jackman’s property and has sent letters to more than 50 residents in the area asking them if they would be willing to sell their land to the DND so they can build the radar.

“I also received one of those letters,” said Jackman. “Overwhelmingly, people do not want to sell their land (because) this is part of their heritage, this is their livelihood, and this is where they live.”

Jackman started a petition, later catching the attention of Simcoe Grey Member of Parliament Terry Dowdall, who took the petition to Ottawa.

Signs saying ‘No DND Radar in Clearview’ can also be seen throughout the township.

“I was, very thankful to stand up and get support from a lot of the neighboring municipalities that are here represented by members of parliament,” said Dowdall. “And, it got a lot of of traction on it, certainly from a social media perspective.”

Dowdall emphasized the prime agricultural farmland that would be affected by the DND installation of the A-OTHR well; at the same time acknowledging the importance of national defense.

“It’s just that balance about food security and national security and we believe and think that there are other sites that are there that may require a little bit more work,” said Dowdall. “But at the end of the day in the long run for our area and for our country, I think this is prime agricultural land.”

The federal government now has 45 days to respond to Dowdall’s petition.

Late last year the DND released documents addressing concerns residents voiced at the public engagement sessions.

Jackman also addressed the documents and said they provided little to no new information and asked for follow-up meetings with the DND. Those meetings have not been arranged.

“The public meeting in September was really to talk about the technology and the preliminary site, and it really did not address the prospect of two permanent sites being installed or sited within approximately 6000 acres of land,” said Jackman. “When the letters went to the landowners, they really did not have time (to understand). What is on the website really did not address anything new that we didn’t hear already at the public meeting, and DND has continued to not meet with the landowners, the people who have received the solicitation letters.”

Clearview Township, also paying close attention to what is happening with A-OTHR site.

Monday night’s council session saw the township favoured a motion to create an Agricultural Advisory Committee that would look at agricultural topics including the A-OTHR.

“That project has certainly opened our eyes to the challenges that agricultural operators and farmers are dealing with every day and then to have this unknown threat of the federal government coming in and literally taking the lands, that’s a real challenge for sure,” said Measures. “ So we are, as council, very supportive of hearing from the agricultural community, we have a very much an open door for any of our agricultural members to come and speak to myself as the mayor or other members of council, and we absolutely are working with them, shoulder to shoulder and trying to fight this issue.”

Measures also voiced the frustration of lack of communication from the DND.

“I’m hearing that there’s, still a great deal of frustration, there’s, still a great deal of unknown situations for each of these landowners that are potentially going to be impacted by and there’s so many questions that have not been answered by DND,” said Measures. “And it becomes very, very frustrating for farm operators to make decisions as many of the farms must make decisions that are 12, 24, sometimes 36 months out, decisions on how they operate their farm, and make these investments. It’s significant and massive investments.”

Jackman has also been trying to organize a meeting with the DND to no success.

“Frustrating, it’s hard to understand why there isn’t more transparency or why there isn’t more willingness to deal with people directly when it will be their land and their livelihood that will be affected by this,” said Jackman.

CTV News did reach out the DND for an interview to which they replied they are looking into the request but did not reach back to coordinate an interview.