DND won’t meet with Ontario farmers concerned about new radar system

Government officials are refusing to meet with Ontario farmers about a controversial missile defence radar after one of their group wrote to Defence Minister David McGuinty to complain about his department’s lack of transparency on the project.

Rachel Brooks, a farmer who is part of group raising questions about the high-tech system, said she has been told by the Department of National Defence that they will no longer agree to meetings because she wrote to McGuinty on Nov. 27. Brooks had complained to the defence minister that the project team involved with the Over-the-Horizon Radar was not providing adequate information or properly consulting with area residents.

“I’ve learned that since I’ve written directly to the Minister of Defence about the lack of meetings, the project team will not pursue another meeting with us,” Brooks said in an interview.

Brooks said radar project team officials told her they have no new information for her and that her group has no new information for DND so there is no need for any meetings. “That’s what their reasoning is which is complete hogwash in my opinion,” said Brooks.

Brooks said she was initially nervous writing McGuinty “because I’m just a little peon. But guess what, I’m also a Canadian citizen so I have a right to send this letter.”

Brooks also wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney whose office told her that her letter was being forwarded to McGuinty.

DND wants to acquire land from the farm belt in Clearview Township 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. But the department is facing pushback from area residents and local politicians.

McGuinty told a Commons defence committee on Dec. 4 that the residents have been provided with a large amount of information about the Over-the-Horizon Radar project. “I can tell you that major outreach has taken place,” he told MPs. “Town halls have been held, I have briefed members of parliament, I’ve connected members of parliament to the department for detailed briefings. That dialogue continues so we’re hopeful we will be able to move forward.”

But residents interviewed by the Ottawa Citizen, including those who sent emailed statements to the newspaper, say they have been largely kept in the dark about the multi-billion dollar project. There were two town halls but little information was provided by DND officials and many questions remained unanswered, they added.

Alice Hansen, communications director for McGuinty, did not respond to questions about the concerns raised by Brooks. McGuinty did not provide comment.

DND has already purchased the transmit site and preliminary receive site for the first stage of the radar. Both sites were privately owned properties.

But more land is expected to be needed.

Landowners started to receive letters from DND in late July inquiring about whether they wanted to sell their properties. But there is concern among residents that if they don’t sell, then the federal government will expropriate their properties.

DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin did not address Brooks’ specific complaint that she had been told by radar project officials they would not longer meet with her. But Poulin noted in an email that DND “has not ended discussions with any member of the community.  It our intent to continue communications with community members.”

“The project team is actively engaging with Clearview Township residents to gather feedback and share information as openly as possible,” Poulin added.

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.”

On Nov. 25, Jennifer Coughlin, mayor of the nearby Township of Springwater, sent McGuinty a letter calling on the minister to “commit to a transparent, meaningful consultation with the affected municipalities, landowners, farmers, conservation authorities and Indigenous communities before irreversible steps are taken.”

Pushback to the radar site has been growing in the area, with “No DND Radar in Clearview” signs popping up along roads. In addition, local resident Terri Jackman has started to gather signatures for a petition to be presented to the House of Commons in early 2026.

Area residents have questioned why the radar can’t be located at nearby Canadian Forces properties. CFB Borden, 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.

Drescher Brown noted in an email that both Borden and Meaford are already being used. “These sites could not be reconfigured without and unacceptable impact on operations and training and would not meet project delivery timelines without supplementary actions outside of use of custodial lands,” he added.

DND expects to begin construction on the initial 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. It could also track aircraft and surface ships.

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.

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

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