Stories of Honour: Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough
Friday, April 29th, marked the second anniversary of the CH-148 helicopter crash that took the life of Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough and five of her colleagues.
The Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign (HOH), held a special memorial tree planting at Abbigail’s elementary school in Toronto. Abbigail’s mother, Tanya Cowbrough, family, friends, school officials, local dignitaries, and students gathered at Regal Road Junior Public School to plant the tree, honour Abbigail’s legacy, and unveil a plaque in remembrance. The tree and plaque will be a reminder to current and future students of the sacrifices heroes like Abbigail have made for Canadians. A special thanks to our partner Aeroplan, who flew Abbigail’s mom and two friends in from Halifax for the event.
Tanya spoke of her daughter’s legacy, and how she loved to help her community. “When a tree puts down roots, it is preparing itself for a future that will benefit its surrounding environment for years to come,” said Tanya Cowbrough. “It will provide shade, filter air, and water, nourish pollinators, provide habitat for wildlife, and so much more. This is why I feel it’s fitting that we are planting a tree at Abbigail’s childhood school, where she put down her own roots that allowed her to grow into such a caring adult who always made the lives of those around her better.”
Photo courtesy of the Cowbrough Family
(Left to Right) Commander Paul Smith, Principal Michael Morris, Tanya Cowbrough, Mark Cullen, MPP Marit Stiles, Trustee Stephanie Donaldson • Photo credit: Ali Zuccato
Abbigail was a thoughtful and determined young woman who attended Regal Road Junior Public School from pre-kindergarten through Grade 4. Early on, Abbigail had a goal of going to Royal Military College (RMC) and joining the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) which she accomplished in 2016.
During her time in the CAF, Abbigail had several deployments including the Bahamas, Vancouver, Scotland, and the Mediterranean. During her last deployment, tragedy struck. On April 29, 2020, Abbigail and five fellow officers were participating in a NATO exercise aboard the HMCS Fredericton (known as "Freddy"). While executing a fly-by helicopter maneuver of the Freddy, they crashed into the Ionian Sea, taking the lives of all on board. Abbigail was only 23 and sacrificed her life proudly serving her country.
Read more Stories of Honour from the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign