Mrs. Virginia Hicks has been named Canada’s 2026 National Silver Cross Mother.
The National Silver Cross Mother is chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion from nominations made by Legion Provincial Commands and individuals to represent the mothers of Canada at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa. Her tenure began Nov. 1 and will continue until Oct. 31, 2027.
As the National Silver Cross Mother, Hicks will place a wreath at the National War Memorial on Nov. 11 on behalf of all Canadian mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the military service of Canada. Throughout her tenure, she will also be called upon to perform other official duties honouring the Fallen from all conflicts.
The Memorial Cross, more commonly known as the Silver Cross, was first authorized on Dec. 1, 1919, as a memento of personal loss and sacrifice for the widows and mothers of Canadian sailors, aviators and soldiers who died for their country during the war.
Hicks was born in Trenton, Ont., and now lives in Frankford with her husband, Brian. Her family has a long history of service, including relatives who served during the Second World War and her father, who served as a firefighter for 38 years.
Hicks herself served in the Canadian Army for close to 29 years, working in supply and logistics. Her military career took her across Canada and to locations including the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Italy. She retired from the Regular Force in 2008 and later served as a full-time reservist before retiring from that role in 2017.
Her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, served with 2 Combat Engineering Regiment in Petawawa, Ont.
Mariebeth was killed on Sept. 23, 2002, during a training exercise on the Matawa Plains in Petawawa. She was travelling in a light armoured vehicle that rolled during the exercise.
Hicks recalled being presented with the Silver Cross in April 2009 and said she later learned that many people did not understand its significance. She hopes to help educate others about the meaning of the Memorial Cross during her year as Canada’s National Silver Cross Mother.
Because of her own experience of loss, Hicks has attended more than 150 repatriations of Fallen Canadian Armed Forces members at the base in Trenton.
On being named National Silver Cross Mother, Hicks said the appointment was an honour she was not expecting and described the experience as “a little overwhelming.”
When asked what her daughter might think of the appointment, Hicks said, “she’d be proud.”
Hicks also shared a message for other Silver Cross Mothers: “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.”
Sapper Mariebeth Short (nee Wilkins) – Supplied Photo
