Ontario Woman Named National Silver Cross Mother - Beritaja

OTTAWA – When Nancy Payne lays a wreath connected Remembrance Day astatine the National War Memorial, it won’t beryllium the first clip she’s represented mothers of Canadian soldiers who person died successful combat.

But it will beryllium her first connected specified a stage.

Payne has laid a wreath astatine her section Remembrance Day ceremonial arsenic a Silver Cross Mother each twelvemonth since 2006, erstwhile her boy was killed successful Afghanistan.

While Payne typically attends her section ceremonial successful Lansdowne, Ont., her hubby David Payne — who served 30 years successful the Canadian Armed Forces infantry — attends the larger ceremonial 15 minutes down the roadworthy successful Gananoque.

“We dispersed ourselves about truthful we’re not some astatine the aforesaid one, truthful we’re retired and about successful the community,” Nancy said.

This year, they’ll beryllium attending the ceremonial together successful Ottawa, arsenic Payne will laic a wreath arsenic the nationalist Silver Cross Mother connected Nov. 11.

The nationalist Silver Cross Mother is named annually by the Royal Canadian Legion.

Cpl. Randy Joseph Payne was killed successful action connected April 22, 2006, while serving arsenic a personnel of the military’s “close protection team” — a portion tasked pinch safeguarding VIPs, for illustration the premier minister, aliases main of defence staff.

Randy had been guarding Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, now retired, astatine the clip he was killed, only 3 months into his deployment, and 2 years aft he joined the Armed Forces arsenic a Military Police officer.

Fraser wasn’t pinch the portion erstwhile a roadside explosive struck their armoured vehicle, known arsenic a G-wagon, while they were returning to Kandahar Airfield. Randy was 1 of 4 soldiers killed successful the explosion.

It was the deadliest onslaught connected Canadian Forces successful 4 years astatine the time.

“General Fraser had near by chopper the nighttime before. So the adjacent day, Randy and the unit were heading backmost to the guidelines successful Kandahar,” Payne recalled.

“So I deliberation the group that did it, the Taliban, thought that Fraser was successful the conveyance that Randy was driving, and Fraser had taken disconnected the nighttime before. So they took retired 4 guiltless people.”

Payne said she’s tense for the week ahead, arsenic she’ll person a week afloat of events successful Ottawa starring up to the ceremony, noting playfully that she’s “not young anymore.”

“I was very, very surprised, but very honoured and I felt very humbled to beryllium representing each the mothers of Canada, she said.

“Yeah, is rather an honour for sure.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published Nov. 1, 2025.

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"Ontario Woman Named National Silver Cross Mother - Beritaja"

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