The newly named 2026 Silver Cross Mother, Virginia Hicks of Frankford, will represent Canadian families who have lost loved ones in military service during Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.
Hicks, a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces, lost her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, in a training accident at the Matawa Plains in 2002. Short, 22, was serving with 2 Combat Engineering Regiment in Petawawa when an armoured vehicle overturned after a wheel assembly failed.
Hicks says she hopes to use her appointment to raise awareness of the sacrifices made by military families, including those who lose loved ones during training in Canada. She will also encourage schools to research local military veterans and share their stories with younger generations.
The Silver Cross Mother designation recognizes the loss experienced by families of Canadian service members who died in the line of duty.
(Richard Evans)
NOTE: Story originally published by Cecilia Nasmith
