Got a good chunk of land in Brant, Norfolk or Haldimand County? The Department of National Defense may be interested in buying it for the latest NORAD surveillance project.
The DND is soliciting interest from those who have properties in southern Ontario that are at least 100 hectares in size in either individual lots or assembled parcels.
Four properties purchased by the government will eventually house transmitters and receivers for the new Arctic and Polar Over the Horizon Radar system as part of an ongoing effort to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
According to an advertisement from the department of defence, the new surveillance system will “significantly expand NORAD and the Canadian Armed Forces’ awareness of objects well before they enter Canadian airspace.”
The new radar system will provide long-range, early warning radar and threat-tracking for “northern approaches.”
The DND expects to nail down possible locations this fall and have a final decision on the sites by the spring of 2024.
According to the DND, the plan was announced in June 2022 as part of the upgrades to Canada’s part of NORAD. Defense Minister Anita Anand said $38.6 billion would be spent on the work over the next two decades, making it the largest investment in Canada’s NORAD capabilities in a generation.
The work is targeted at improving Canada’s ability to detect threats earlier and more precisely and then communicating those threats to decision-makers quickly.
It also wants to strengthen the ability to defeat aerospace threats with air weapons systems, ensure a strong military presence across the country and “future-proof” capabilities to defend North America through investments in science and technology.
Advertisements appeared in several community newspapers including the Brantford Expositor and the Norfolk & Tillsonburg News.
Landowners interested in offering property for sale can find more details in a notice posted by Public Services and Procurement Canada on CanadaBuys (
) and contact PSPC by Aug. 31 to confirm their interest.
The government notes it may want to visit proposed properties and will only proceed with those that meet very specific operational, security and public safety requirements.
@EXPSGamble