The South Alberta Light Horse Regiment is based at Patterson Armoury in Medicine Hat. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

South Alberta Light Horse Regiment to keep identity as it moves under Calgary unit’s command

Apr 9, 2024 | 11:56 AM

The Medicine Hat-based South Alberta Light Horse Regiment will hold on to its identity but still move under the command of a Calgary unit in a compromise advocates hailed as a partial victory.

Backlash from veterans and the community poured in after CHAT News revealed last month SALH would be rebadged as a wing of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment as part of a “realignment” under the bigger city’s command.

Paul Mast, a veteran of SALH who served with the regiment for over three decades, said it was the right call for the military to reverse its initial decision to essentially eliminate SALH from Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

“I’m very, very pleased with the results and it should have gone that way in the first place,” Mast told CHAT News on Tuesday.

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Paul Mast served with the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment for 33 years. (Kevin Kyle/CHAT News)

Mast said support from the community was crucial in getting the initial decision overturned.

“When people got on the phones and wrote letters and so forth…things changed,” Mast said.

“They basically came up with a compromise. And that being that the headquarters for the squadron would be in Calgary with the King’s Own Calgary Regiment and then the remainder of the regiment is up in Edmonton.”

Ian Parkinson, who is part of the SALH regimental association, agreed the new approach is better for all sides.

“It’s a partial win,” Parkinson said.

Coun. Andy McGrogan said at a council meeting Monday that defence minister Bill Blair carried out a ministerial investigation into the plan to change the home of the regiment.

“Unfortunately, the plan has not been fully defeated as Medicine Hat and its troop in Lethbridge — though remaining part of the Sally Horse in name only — now fall under operational command of that Calgary unit,” McGrogan said.

“We are hopeful that the minister will direct his team to undo this plan and fully return the SALH in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge back under the command of the South Alberta Light Horse,” he added.

McGrogran also called for properly resourced recruiting to “grow the regiment back to its former strength of 195 soldiers from just four years ago.”