A historic parade at CFB Edmonton on Friday marked the formal establishment of 1 Signal Regiment and a change of command, signaling a significant modernization of the Canadian Army's communications capabilities. The event, featuring mounted troop riders from Lord Strathcona's Horse in First World War-era dress, celebrated the regiment's elevation from squadron status to a key operational unit within 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
New Regiment for Digital Battlefield
Lt.-Col. Jason Chor now commands 200 service members of the newly-constituted One Signal Regiment. The unit's enhanced role reflects the shift from traditional warfare to digital battles fought in the cloud. "This is definitely a turning point in our history," Chor told Postmedia.
The enlarged regiment will take on more responsibilities with the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade, which maintains and prepares combat-ready forces. This expansion comes amid Canada's $500 billion defence spending influx under the new defence industrial strategy. CFB Edmonton has already approved 1,000 new residences to support these reinvigorated defence goals.
Modernizing Communications
1 Signal Regiment will ensure all command and control systems—from radios and vehicle-borne systems to digital internet protocol systems—are optimized. "In today's world, the digital/cyber world has expanded, and it's much more dangerous than ever," Chor said. "Our adversaries use advanced cyber techniques to attack our human control structures."
The regiment's mission includes countering these threats with complex, nimble responses. Modern tools like satellites, the cloud, and cellphone-based command control systems replace outdated pigeons, telegrams, and staticky radios—capabilities that soldiers from past wars would have valued immensely.
Growth and Future Deployments
Chor explained that the growth addresses historical gaps in digital capabilities. "We are catching up to defeat our enemies in the same zone. The army is bringing new capabilities that need to communicate with each other. Our job is to provide a platform for that," he said.
Edmonton's unit is the second in the order to transition from squadron to regiment, covering Western Canada and the North. The upgrade includes two additional majors and two sergeant majors to handle complex planning. The first increment of growth will be tested during a deployment to Latvia next year.
Chor, a Ryerson computer engineering graduate from Toronto, previously oversaw operational communication and information systems planning for global Canadian Armed Forces operations from Ottawa.
