The mother of a dead Hamilton soldier who received a cheque for one cent from the federal government will speak publicly about the incident for the first time Thursday evening.


CBC News will stream Denise Stark’s statement live from MP Wayne Marston’s office in Hamilton at 5 p.m. ET.


The issue was first raised in question period Tuesday in the House of Commons. Cpl. Justin Stark, a 22-year-old infantry soldier with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, killed himself in the John W. Foote VC Armouries in Hamilton in October 2011.


Stark’s mother received a cheque in the mail for a penny — presumably for owed military pay — from the federal government a few days ago. National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson told Parliament Wednesday that his staff had arranged a call for Thursday so that he could “personally apologize” for an “unacceptable incident.”


Cheque to dead soldier

This one-cent cheque dated Feb. 28 was sent to the home of Cpl. Justin Stark earlier this month. The 22-year-old committed suicide in 2011 in Hamilton. (Supplied)



The Defence Department has assured Nicholson there will be “better communication” so nothing similar happens again. “This is what this woman is owed,” he said.


But this isn't the only one-cent cheque sent out to a Canadian Forces member in recent months.


Kelly Carter, a Canadian Forces member from Alberta, sent CBC News a copy of a nearly identical cheque for a penny he received in January. It's also marked "CF Release Pay," just like the cheque sent to Stark.


"I don’t believe anything the Canadian Forces say, they lie through their teeth," Carter said in an email. "Staff tell ministers lip service to make them happy, but the same problems resurface again. What a waste of time, money, resources and paper."


Nicholson did not specify why the payment to Stark was issued, nor did he explain exactly what measures were being taken to make sure this doesn’t happen again. CBC News received no response to requests for further clarification on the matter.