Veteran who lost daughter in military training exercise named Silver Cross Mother
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
A veteran whose daughter died during a military training exercise in 2002 has been named the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother.
The Royal Canadian Legion says Virginia Hicks will place a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11, an annual tradition on behalf of Canadian mothers who have lost a child serving in the Canadian military.
Hicks’ daughter Mariebeth Short died on Sept. 23, 2002 during a training exercise in Petawawa, Ont., when the light armoured vehicle she was training in rolled over.
The Royal Canadian Legion says Hicks’ family has a long history of military service and she served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 29 years, working in supply and logistics.
This year’s Remembrance Day ceremony comes just weeks after four Canadian soldiers were killed and dozens more were injured during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., were killed in a grass fire last month.
Strong, sudden winds propelled the nearby fire toward 84 members of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry who were conducting two exercises in the military base’s training area, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading a full investigation into the tragedy with support from the RCMP.
Hicks says she has much in common with all mothers who have lost a child serving in the military.
“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,” she said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2026.