HONG KONG VETERANS COMMEMORATIVE ASSOCIATION

What HONG KONG VETERANS COMMEMORATIVE ASSOCIATION does

Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association (HKVCA) is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization founded in 1993 to honour the Canadian soldiers who served in the Defence of Hong Kong in December 1941 — the approximately 1,976 members of 'C' Force (Royal Rifles of Canada and Winnipeg Grenadiers) — and to preserve their legacy for future generations. The organization is governed by descendants of those veterans (sons, daughters, grandchildren) and runs in parallel with the older Hong Kong Veterans Association (HKVA), with administration and finance having been semi-merged in 2001. HKVCA's work spans four areas: commemoration (Memorial Wall in Ottawa unveiled 2009; commemorative plaques installed in Legion branches, schools, museums, and community centres; gravestone markers), education (Teachers' Zone with 10 lesson plans, an annual high school Writers Competition, virtual events on YouTube), research and archives ('C' Force Reports database with individual records on every soldier, an Image Gallery, a Digital Library, an Indigenous Veterans project identifying 128 Indigenous members), and member/family communications (quarterly Wasureru-Nai newsletter, regional directors across five Canadian regions, an active Facebook Tribute Group).

The underlying 'product' is essentially a curated historical archive and a set of physical and digital memorials rather than a technology platform; the website serves as a content hub, the store uses a basic Square storefront, and educational resources are distributed as lesson plans and multimedia. HKVCA's business model is a hybrid of small-scale merchandise sales (pins, crests, DVDs, Honour Rolls, retail plaques at approximately $170) and donations, with commemorative plaques provided free of charge to qualifying public institutions. The customer base is distributed across veterans' families, Canadian educators and students, the general remembrance public, and partner organizations including Veterans Affairs Canada and the Royal Canadian Legion. As of November 2023, all living 'C' Force veterans had passed away (the last, Hormidas Fredette), so the organization's continuity now depends entirely on second- and third-generation descendants and on institutional partners.

Name

HONG KONG VETERANS COMMEMORATIVE ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

Website

https://hkvca.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HKVCA is a Canadian non-profit founded in 1993 that commemorates the 1,976 Canadian soldiers of 'C' Force who defended Hong Kong in 1941, serving veterans' descendants, educators, students, and the Canadian public through memorials, archives, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterans Commemoration and Military Heritage Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Veterans commemoration services
• Military heritage preservation
• Educational memorial resources
• Digital veteran archives
• Nonprofit commemorative association

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HKVCA is a Canadian non-profit that preserves and commemorates the legacy of the approximately 1,976 Canadian soldiers (Royal Rifles of Canada and Winnipeg Grenadiers) who served in the Defence of Hong Kong in December 1941. It delivers this through a physical Memorial Wall in Ottawa, commemorative plaques distributed across Canadian public venues, an online 'C' Force Reports database, educational resources for schools, Indigenous veterans research, an online merchandise store (memorabilia, books, DVDs, pins, crests), a quarterly newsletter, image galleries, recorded virtual events, and digital archives of personal accounts.

Product overview

HKVCA is a commemorative non-profit organization offering a portfolio of memorial products, educational resources, and archival services. The core offerings include the Memorial Wall (a physical tribute in Ottawa), Commemorative Plaques for public venues, and the 'C' Force Reports database. Supporting offerings include the Wasureru-Nai newsletter, an online merchandise store, Teachers' Zone educational resources, an Image Gallery, Virtual Events recordings, and a Digital Library. These products collectively serve to honor Hong Kong veterans, educate Canadians, and preserve historical records.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Memorial Wall A black granite physical memorial wall in Ottawa honouring all 1,976 Canadian soldiers who served in the Defence of Hong Kong in December 1941, with names of Royal Rifles of Canada and Winnipeg Grenadiers inscribed on opposing faces. Free public access for remembrance and reflection; adjacent patio area available for ceremonies.
• Commemorative Plaques Physical commemorative plaques available in vertical or horizontal formats, in English or French, for permanent indoor display in public venues such as Royal Canadian Legion branches, community centres, museums, and high schools. Provided free of charge to qualifying organizations; individual purchase available at approximately $170 plus tax and shipping.
• 'C' Force Reports and Stats Database Dynamic online database offering tailored individual reports on each of the approximately 1,976 'C' Force members, including last-name search, personnel listings, casualty reports, hellship information, and decoration records. Available for free public use on the HKVCA website.
• Wasureru-Nai Newsletter National newsletter published four times per year (March, June, September, December) covering regional and national activities of the association to keep members and supporters informed about commemorations, research, and chapter news.
• HKVCA Online Store (Memorabilia, Books, DVDs, Pins, Crests) Online merchandise storefront offering commemorative memorabilia including member pins, crests, DVDs of documentaries, Honour Roll prints, books, posters, and other commemorative items. Orders processed via the Contact Us email channel.
• Teachers' Zone Educational Resources Educational resources for educators and students including 10 lesson plans, multimedia CD-ROM presentations, the Battle of Hong Kong Teacher's Guide, and human rights resources covering Canada's role in the Defence of Hong Kong and POW experiences.
• Image Gallery Extensive photo and document gallery featuring war-related images from the 1940s, battlefield maps, POW photographs, cemetery images, and photos from modern-day commemorative events.
• Virtual Events Recordings Recorded virtual presentations and educational discussions featuring authors and experts on Hong Kong veterans' experiences, accessible via the HKVCA YouTube channel.
• Indigenous Veterans Research Project Research project identifying and recognizing Indigenous veterans of 'C' Force with documented Indigenous ancestry. Includes a Teachers Resource Guide and the identification of 128 Indigenous veterans through 2024 research.
• Digital Library / Reference Library Online reference library hosting digital versions of books about Hong Kong veterans, personal accounts, diaries, and historical documents, plus book recommendations and external links to veterans' resources for public access.
• Gravestone Markers Program Ongoing project to place a standardized marker on the gravestone of every identified Hong Kong veteran, providing a permanent individual commemoration at burial sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Memorial Wall in Ottawa with names of all 'C' Force members engraved, ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Last Post Fund: A Canadian non-profit that organizes military funerals, grave markers, and remembrance for low-income veterans; comparable to HKVCA's ongoing gravestone-marker project targeting every Hong Kong veteran's grave, with similar family-driven volunteer model.
• Juno Beach Centre: A Canadian WWII museum and educational centre in Normandy that commemorates a specific Canadian WWII campaign with a permanent physical site, archives, school programs, and educational outreach — closely analogous to HKVCA's Memorial Wall and Teachers' Zone approach.
• Hong Kong Veterans Association (HKVA): The predecessor veterans organization whose administration and finance were semi-merged into HKVCA in 2001; HKVA still operates and remains the most direct peer given shared membership base, parallel commemorative mandate, and identical 'C' Force subject matter.

Broad incumbents

• Veterans Affairs Canada: The federal department HKVCA coordinates with on commemorative programs and widow advocacy; a much larger public-sector organization providing the Remembrance framework within which HKVCA's educational and commemorative work operates.
• War Amps of Canada: A large Canadian veterans charity with broad donor base, paid staff, and commemorative programming; comparable as a Canada-based veterans non-profit navigating intergenerational transition and competing for the same donor pool.
• Royal Canadian Legion: Canada's largest veterans service organization that collaborates with HKVCA on plaque placements across Legion branches; a far larger incumbent serving all Canadian veterans with paid staff, government relationships, and substantial fundraising infrastructure.
• Canadian War Museum: Canada's national museum of military history presenting exhibits including Hong Kong 'C' Force material; a much larger institutional incumbent that shares HKVCA's archival, educational, and commemorative mandate at national scale.

Emerging players

• Historica Canada (The Memory Project): A Canadian heritage charity producing educational video, bilingual Heritage Minutes, and classroom resources on Canadian history; comparable as a Canada-focused non-profit delivering WWII education materials to schools through digital channels.
• Indigenous Veterans Wall of Honour: An initiative under Veterans Affairs Canada recognizing Indigenous military service; partially overlaps with HKVCA's Indigenous Veterans Research Project, which has identified 128 Indigenous 'C' Force members, making it a thematic peer in the same niche.

Regional players

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Canada): Maintains war graves and memorials for Commonwealth servicemembers who died in WWII, including many Canadian Hong Kong veterans buried in Hong Kong and Japan; shares HKVCA's gravestone-marker concept and remembrance mission at international scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hkvcadocs8637/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/HongKongVets
• LinkedInfacebook.com/groups/HongKongVets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HONG KONG VETERANS COMMEMORATIVE ASSOCIATION