Virginia Hicks named 2026 National Silver Cross Mother

The Royal Canadian Legion has named Virginia Hicks, whose daughter died during a military training exercise in 2002, the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother.

Hicks, from Frankford, Ont., will place a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11 on behalf of Canadian mothers who have lost a child serving in the military, the Legion said in a news release dated Nov. 1. Global News and The Canadian Press also reported the announcement.

Her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, served with 2 Combat Engineering Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont. Short died on Sept. 23, 2002, during a training exercise on the Matawa Plains in Petawawa when the light armoured vehicle she was travelling in rolled over, the Legion said.

Short was born on Jan. 23, 1980, in Comox, B.C., and grew up in a family with a history of military service, including her mother’s. The Legion said Hicks served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 29 years, working in supply and logistics.

“We all share the same sorrow, we all share the same bravery, and same love and respect for our children as we do for any other child who has passed,” Hicks said in a statement.

Sharon McKeown, the Legion’s Dominion president, said Hicks’s presence on behalf of all mothers is “so incredibly meaningful.”

Hicks’s term runs from Nov. 1, 2026, to Oct. 31, 2027, and she will take part in several events honouring Canada’s fallen during that time. The Legion said the National Silver Cross Mother is chosen by a Dominion Command selection committee from nominations sent in by provincial commands and individual Canadians.

This year’s Remembrance Day ceremony comes weeks after four Canadian soldiers were killed and dozens injured in a grass fire during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright in Alberta. Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark died. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading a full investigation with support from the RCMP.

We have followed the Wainwright tragedy since the first reports, including the day of the fire and, more recently, questions about the military’s account. For Remembrance Day services, see our guide to free transit for veterans on Remembrance Day 2026.

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