British Army to continue to train thousands of troops in southern Alberta

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – The British Army will continue to send thousands of soldiers to train in southern Alberta, but wants a better deal from Ottawa.

The commanding officer of the British Army Training Unit Suffield says the United Kingdom and Canada have agreed to extend a training agreement first signed in 1971.

Col. Jim Landon says the British military considered moving the training unit to a base in Germany.

But he says after a review, senior officers determined that the base in Suffield, Alta., is the best place to conduct large-scale training with live ammunition.

But Landon says the U.K. needs to save money and will be working with Canada's defence department to find cost savings.

The base trains thousands of soldiers each year, which pumps lots of money into the local economy. (CHAT)