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Key points
- Served nearly 30 years in the RCAF in logistics and supply
- Named 2026 National Silver Cross Mother by the Royal Canadian Legion
- Lays a wreath at the National War Memorial on November 11
- Speaks up for recognition of deaths in training
On Remembrance Day, one woman lays a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of every Canadian mother who has lost a child in military service. In 2026 that woman is Virginia Hicks of Frankford, Ontario, a veteran of nearly 30 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force. She brings to the role a lifetime of service and a clear message for military families.
Nearly 30 years in the RCAF
Hicks served in the Royal Canadian Air Force for nearly three decades, working in logistics and supply. She told CTV News she joined because she “wanted to do something that made a difference.” The Royal Canadian Legion notes that her family has a long history of military service.
National Silver Cross Mother for 2026
The Royal Canadian Legion named Hicks the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother. On November 11 she will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial on behalf of all Canadian mothers who have lost a child in military service, an annual tradition at the national ceremony.
Her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, a combat engineer, died in a training accident at Petawawa in 2002. In a statement after the announcement, Hicks spoke for the families who share that experience: “We all share the same sorrow, we all share the same bravery.”
Training deaths count too
Hicks has made it her mission to share one idea: a service member who dies in training deserves the same recognition as one who dies overseas. “People think that a person who dies in theatre is more important than someone who dies in training,” she told CTV News. She wants that to change.
The rules themselves have changed. When her daughter died, the Memorial Cross, commonly called the Silver Cross, was limited to families of those who died overseas. Changes in 2007 and 2008 extended it to all service-related deaths since October 2001, including training at home. Hicks received the Memorial Cross in 2009. She had believed it was only for families whose loved ones were killed abroad, and she wants other families to know their loss is honoured too.
A message for Wainwright families
In October 2026, four soldiers were killed in a fire during training at CFB Wainwright in Alberta. Hicks has reached out with sympathy for their parents, partners and loved ones. Her advice is patience while the military investigates, and honest hope: “It will get easier. I can promise them that, but it’ll never go away.”
Coming from someone who served for nearly 30 years and knows this road, those words carry weight. They also reflect what the Silver Cross Mother represents: a reminder that the cost of service is carried by families long after the headlines fade.
Watching on November 11
The National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa is held on November 11. When the Silver Cross Mother steps forward to lay her wreath, Virginia Hicks will be standing for military mothers across the country. You can read more in CTV’s interview with her.
Questions and answers
Who is the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother?
Virginia Hicks of Frankford, Ontario, an RCAF veteran of nearly 30 years, was named the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother by the Royal Canadian Legion.
What does the National Silver Cross Mother do?
On Remembrance Day she lays a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of all Canadian mothers who have lost a child in military service.
What message is Virginia Hicks sharing?
She wants Canadians to know that a service member who dies in training deserves the same recognition as one who dies overseas. She has also offered support to the families of the soldiers killed at CFB Wainwright in October 2026.
