Residents launch petition in fight against DND radar
Terri Jackman says she started knocking on doors right after the Department of National Defence (DND) knocked on hers.
It was July 23 when three DND representatives made their way up the driveway at her home on Concession 7 Sunnidale and told her that the property across the road had been purchased for the purpose of setting up a preliminary Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) receive site.
DND has purchased 288 hectares (700 acres) of prime farmland, overlapping the Minesing Wetlands, for the project and more is needed.
Jackman was informed that the property would be enclosed with 15- foot barbed wire fence, and would have around the clock lighting and camera surveillance. Worse, the farmland will be flattened, without the possibility of reverting back to prime agricultural land. Worst of all, the land was purchased by DND without the community’s knowledge.
“I vacillated between sadness and anger, information seeking, and whining,” said Jackman.
She said she had a lot of questions and did not receive a lot of answers, because the project is still in its infancy.
“It has caused anguish and uncertainty,” said Jackman. “It has been so unsettling because people have been holding their breath wondering if they’ll be impacted.”
The big threat is expropriation.
Jackman started going door-to-door to talk to her neighbours about her concerns and has mapped out an area between Concessions 7 and 9, from just east of 3/4 Sideroad Sunnidale to Strongville, where residents have received “Solicitation of Interest in Land Sale in Clearview Township” letters from DND.
Rachel Brooks’ family lives and works within the area believed to be of interest for the set up of a larger permanent receive site.
She received a letter dated July 24 by mail. She said she was completely blindsided, as was the rest of her family. Combined, about 1,500 of the acres they farm is within the area of interest, both crops and sheep operations.
Brooks’ biggest concern is being displaced. Because the farm is their home and their business, it is everything to them, and it would not be realistic to pick up and start somewhere new.
She said that over the past 45 years her in-laws have built a farm from nothing, literally feeding the land with their blood, sweat and tears, picking rocks, nurturing the soil and tiling, to make it ideal for their growing purposes.
“We’ve been stewarding the land for the next generation and it could be all for naught, which is pretty depressing,” said Brooks.
If forced to move, she asks, “Where would you find the quality of land, community connections and business relationships?”
Brooks said she would hate to see farmland destroyed for a technology that could become obsolete in 30 years.
“Once we run out of farmland, how are we going to feed our community,” she asks. “You can’t make more farmland.”
She and Jackman agree that they have to try to fight the DND proposal.
“We would hate ourselves if we didn’t,” said Jackman.
“Consider the ripple effect of ripping these businesses out of the local economy,” she said.
They are part of a grassroots movement that has organically come together. Signs can be seen throughout Clearview Township opposing the project. There is now a core group forming that plans to figure out next steps.
Jackman has gone through a process of setting up a formal parliamentary petition, which will be presented by MP Terry Dowdall in the New Year, after the signing period closes on Jan. 23. The petition has a minimum requirement of 500 signatures but as of this week, including hard copies, is well over 1,000.
The petition is online at www.ourcommons.ca under e-6829 (national defence and military operations). There is also a Facebook group called Clearview DND radar.
Signs are available at GV Graphics in Stayner.
