Dear Editor,
It has been just over a year since I wrote you a letter suggesting that the Meaford training base be repurposed into a drone training centre. A lot has changed since that time. The war in Ukraine and Gaza continues and has evolved into drone warfare, Donald Trump is looking for stronger border security, and our sovereignty in the north is being threatened. Now, more than ever I recommend that the base be repurposed into a drone training centre. As before, I hope the drones are used for peaceful and only defensive purposes, and not for destructive war, or invasive surveillance purposes.
We have discovered a lot since then about the base. We’ve always known the base contains numerous unexploded ordinance… if you ever visit the base, you will be told to never to leave the safe path area to avoid the risk of being blown up. They could be using the new drones to finally clean up these deadly devices. TCE wants to build a pump storage facility. If approved, drones could be used to ensure this area is safe before they begin to build.
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the base at their recent open house. It was such a pleasure to meet and talk with the fine young men and women who proudly serve and train there. I was impressed watching them skillfully demonstrate how they would perform an ambush on an enemy vehicle, and in a second demonstration, chase and shoot down enemy soldiers in an open field. At the same time, I was silently praying there will never be a funeral held by the families of one of our fallen soldiers because the situation was real but reversed.
Interestingly, I heard many people saying with excitement that they were able to shoot one of those advanced rifles. I, myself, could never touch an instrument used to kill another human being. I pray for a world where there is no more killing.
Furthermore, we have recently discovered, there is a serious contamination issue upon the base. I also fear that this contamination is leaching into Mountain Lake. I’ve been told the fishing is good there and they have eaten the fish caught from the lake. While on my base, I was told by another soldier that he also fished in the lake. The fishing was great… he could catch seven fish for every 10 times he cast his line. He also told me that he had to release every one of them because they were infected with strange looking worms. Furthermore, I was told by someone who had visited the lake years ago that the water was crystal clear, but it looked pretty murky to me when I was peering into its depths from a canoe. Can someone tell me what those strange floating islands of vegetation are at the west end of the lake?
Surprisingly, I also heard from a couple of soldiers that the base was haunted!! Most Meafordites have heard about the legend of the “blue-eyed girl”, but it wasn’t her that was reported. Before the European contact, the land now occupied by the base was inhabited by the native people since time immemorial. They very likely buried their dead there. Could the constant pounding of the artillery be awakening their sleeping ancestors? If true, how disrespectful is that?
I’ve been told that the base would like to build housing so that single soldiers, and those with families could live there. It would increase morale. Really?
Would you want to be raising your kids in such an environment?
Now more than ever, Canada needs a drone training centre at the Meaford base but first they need to clean it up. Who will make this proposal? Will it be the Liberal government, or will it be our MP, Alex Ruff, to do so? Whoever it be, I hope they take the above into consideration.
Sincerely,
Anton Komar, Meaford
