By Eli J. Ridder, Kevin Kyle

EXCLUSIVE

South Alberta Light Horse Regiment to ‘realign’ with larger reserve force, command set to move out of Medicine Hat

Mar 7, 2024 | 10:00 AM

The Medicine Hat-based Southern Alberta Light Horse Regiment will lose its name and independence as it begins a process of realignment with larger reserve operations in the province, a high-ranking commander told CHAT News on Wednesday.

The SALH group has operated as an independent reserve regiment for over a century, but Col. Christopher Hunt said the process has begun to unify it with the King’s Own Calgary Regiment, confirming earlier reporting by CHAT News.

“There’s still a lot of details to be worked out, but tonight was about starting the conversation with those soldiers so that we can have an open conversation about how we bring these elements together,” Hunt told CHAT News after meeting with the regiment late on Wednesday.

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While the Medicine Hat regiment is no stranger to amalgamation over the course of its history, this would mark the first time the command is moved out of Medicine Hat.

“In the end, there’s still going to be two regiments that will continue forward. There will be a regiment in southern Alberta and there’ll be a regiment in Edmonton,” Hunt said.

“They will both continue the traditions of the King’s Own [Calgary Regiment] and the [South Alberta] Light Horse.”

Hunt said the process will take place over the course of a year.

SALH is currently headquartered in Medicine Hat, a regiment independent from Alberta’s larger cities, a source of pride for current and former regiment soldiers, according to two sources who spoke with CHAT News on the condition of anonymity.

The regiment also operates a museum out of its central station at Patterson Armoury. That museum will continue its normal operations for the time being, curator Wes Krause told CHAT News.

The pride and history associated with the SALH regiment would be lost if the changes move ahead, the veteran sources said.

“It’s like if I were to tell you tomorrow to change your last name, you are no longer related to your family,” one former reservist said.

“The guys that are bringing this in display complete ineptitude,” he added ahead of the Wednesday meeting.

There was a previous attempt at eliminating the South Alberta Regiment in the 1950s, as described by Krause in a CHAT TV feature series. That idea was shot down by Medicine Hat mayor Harry Veiner at the time.

The then-South Alberta Regiment and the 15th Light Horse group were later amalgamated to create the current SALH.

There was not any public consultation ahead of the amalgamation being revealed Wednesday, an approach two sources told CHAT News was unprofessional.