By Tamara Condie
In the face of the already devastating COVID-19 pandemic, just weeks ago, the CAF was harrowingly tasked with organizing a special ramp ceremony for the six Armed Forces members that lost their lives on 29 April in the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crash. The accident resulted in the death of Sub-Lieutenant Abigail Cowbrough and Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, and the presumed death of Captain Kevin Hagen, Captain Maxime Miron-Mori, Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pike, and Master Corporal Matthew Cousins. This tragedy has sent a wave of tribulation from coast to coast, which has bridged several Canadian communities together in pursuit of honouring the fallen.
Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough — Toronto, ON: Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough has been described by both her peers and superiors as “a force of nature.” Sub-Lt. Cowbrough’s jovial personality brought everyone that came in contact with her mere delight; her father characterizes her in a Facebook post as his “bright light in life taken far too soon.” Part of Sub-Lt. Cowbrough’s lasting impression on people came from the fact that she was a jill-of-all-trades— she doubled up as a Maritime systems engineer officer and a piper for both a military and not-for-profit volunteer piping union for the Halifax Regional Fire Service.
Although posted out East as a member of the HMCS Fredericton crew, Cowbrough was born and raised in the GTA— she spent a lot of her childhood indulging in cadet activities with RCAF 534 Raider Squadron and as a piper for the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. There is no shortage of verbiage in circulation that commemorates Sub-Lt. Cowbrough’s vivacious persona, and it is evident that many will miss her life-loving and always-willing-to-help self. A few years ago, a beautiful mural in Downtown Peterborough (Cowbrough’s hometown) was painted of Cowbrough in a highland dancing position— it now honours her passing.
Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald — New Glasgow, NS: Capt. Brenden Ian McDonald was recognized ubiquitously for being hardworking and determined. A yearning to fly can be traced all the way back to his childhood, as one of his former cadet instructors characterizes the young Capt. MacDonald as “exemplifying the best of the best.” This instructor, Mr. Jamie Caudle, was an eyewitness to Capt. MacDonald earning his wings on the Introduction to Aviation Course at the Regional Gliding School. While reminiscing, he attributed MacDonald to being extremely well-liked by his peers, and demonstrating remarkable intellect.
Fast forwarding to the future, Capt. MacDonald seemed to have maintained that unwavering drive and revered persona— a plethora of friends and community members are mourning his loss, alongside his beautiful wife, Amanda, and their three children. Both of his siblings are actively serving members of the CAF as well, and a former CO of Capt. MacDonald’s describes his entire family as “brilliant,” and adds that she has “sleepless nights over this.” Although an irrefutable tragedy, a dear friend of the deceased Captain has put together a GoFundMe page, which has raised over 100 thousand dollars for Capt. MacDonald’s lamenting
family.
Captain Kevin Hagen— Nanaimo, BC: Saturated in potential, Capt. Kevin Hagen’s family recollects how “amazing of a young man” he was. Capt. Hagen was born in Nanaimo, but spread his wings throughout the majority of the West coast— he graduated from the 848 Royal Roads Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in Victoria, BC. Described as “caring and sensitive” by his father, the Captain’s family and friends will miss his selfless and loveable demeanour. Hagen had an ocean of friends, and one of his closest confidantes whom he met through cadet school, Kyrle Symons, states plainly that “everybody loved him.”
Kevin wanted to be a pilot ever since his childhood, and he chased that dream down the runway alongside his friend Symons starting back in cadets. Watching Capt. Hagen’s pursuit of his dreams was “really exciting,” according to Symons, and he is happy he got to see his friend Capt. Hagen attain his Holy Grail in life. That being said, Hagen’s family and friends continue to mourn the premature loss of an outdoorsy, dog-loving and outstanding individual. In an interview with the CBC, his brother, Kyle, expresses how deeply he will miss Kevin’s ability to be so selflessly supportive to the family, even amidst his hectic career.
Captain Maxine Miron-Morin— Trois Rivières, QC: Another individual who was long destined to be in the military is Capt. Maxine Miron-Morin, a former cadet with 817 J.-V.-Allard de Nicolet Squadron. His former CO, Benoît Mercier, paints Capt. Miron-Morin as a “cadet who was always able to lead by example, and remain serious while also knowing how to go out and have fun.” Capt. Miron-Morin always had a hankering to one day fly, and as a cadet, dreamed of wearing the RCAF uniform.
Although he did eventually get around to enlisting, Capt. Miron-Morin developed a dignified educational background before doing so: he completed a degree in aeronautical engineering at the RMC in Kingston. In addition to this, Capt. Miron-Morin was a beloved husband, son, brother and friend. Many heartfelt messages have been published in honour of the young Captain— some words that have been commonly used to describe him are “compassionate, intelligent, positive, and welcoming.” A GoFundMe page has been set up in his loving memory to raise money towards building a commemoration in his hometown.
Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke— Truro, NS: Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke’s entire career was premised around his innate ethos of honour and selflessness. In a formally issued statement, Sub-Lt. Pyke’s family attributes the circumstances of his death to “doing what he was born to do— serving others.” Matthew is remembered as being a proud member of the RCN, which was deeply rooted in a sense of duty that had driven him to achieve something greater than himself. On top of the fact that Sub-Lt. Pyke was a son, brother, and fiancé, he was an avid giver to his Nova Scotia
community.
Sub-Lt. Pyke’s resume does not end there: he also spent his spare time as a volunteer firefighter. It is irrefutable that Pyke’s designated purpose in life was putting others before himself, which is exactly what he did day in and day out. His family even notes that he loved to have fun and spread his infectious smile; however, even in times of recreation, he was always on the lookout for the well-being of his friends and family. Sub-Lt. Pyke’s family wrote their son an invaluable goodbye in a public statement: “Fair winds and following seas, our beloved sailor. We have the watch.”
Master Corporal Matthew Cousins— Guelph, ON: Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins was an airborne electronic sensor operator for the RCAF. Col. James Hawthorne was fortunate to work closely with Cousins, and salutes the Master Corporal for being an “outstanding aviator who kept his crew focused on the mission.” Cousins was a first section commander to a good friend named Mike Sammy before leaving to join the Airforce; Sammy describes his dearly departed friend as “a great man and a great
soldier.”
Master Cpl. Cousins had a loving wife, Joanne, and two children— one just graduated high school, and the other is finishing up Junior High in the fall. As a proper honouring of Cousins’ exceptional service with the CAF, a ceremony was held at Huntsville’s cenotaph on May 5th in his name. Additionally, there is currently a GoFundMe set up in memory of Matthew Cousins to support his wife and children in these trying times.
