Key Takeaways

  • Virginia Hicks of Frankford, Ontario, is Canada's 2026 National Silver Cross Mother.
  • She will lay a wreath at Ottawa's National War Memorial on November 11.
  • Hicks, a Canadian Army veteran, has attended more than 150 repatriations since her daughter's death.

On November 11, She Will Lay a Wreath for Every Mother Who Lost a Child in Service

The Royal Canadian Legion has named Mrs. Virginia Hicks of Frankford, Ontario, as Canada's 2026 National Silver Cross Mother.

On November 11, she will place a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Until October 31, 2027, she will represent all Canadian mothers and families who have lost a son or daughter in the line of service.

On being named, Mrs. Hicks said she was not expecting the honour: "It's a little overwhelming." Asked what her daughter might think, she said, "she'd be proud."

A Family That Served

Mrs. Hicks is a veteran herself. The Legion's biography says she served in the Canadian Army for close to 29 years, working in supply and logistics.

Her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, served with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ontario. She was killed on September 23, 2002, during a training exercise on the Matawa Plains in Petawawa, when the light armoured vehicle she was travelling in rolled.

Since her own loss, Mrs. Hicks has attended more than 150 repatriations of Fallen service members at the base in Trenton, Ontario.

Legion Dominion President Sharon McKeown called her presence on behalf of all mothers "so incredibly meaningful."

A Symbol From 1919

The Memorial Cross — more commonly called the Silver Cross — was introduced on December 1, 1919, for mothers and widows who lose a child on active duty. A Legion selection committee chooses the recipient from each year's nominations.

The Twikup Take

Some honours nobody applies for.

Virginia Hicks has spent over two decades turning her own loss into presence — at more than 150 repatriations, and now in Ottawa. On November 11, she carries every family standing behind her.

Image: AI-generated illustration.

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