Silver Cross mother offers condolences following Wainwright training accident

Virginia Hicks, Canada’s Silver Cross mother, has expressed her condolences to the families affected by a recent deadly training accident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. The fire, which occurred during a training exercise last month, resulted in four deaths and dozens of injuries.

Hicks, who lost her daughter, Mariebeth Short, in a military training accident in 2002, noted that the grief experienced during peacetime training is as significant as losses sustained in overseas combat zones. She intends to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial during Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa to represent Canadian mothers who have lost children in military service.