From left to right: Caterina Arena-Saia, Sean Esdon, Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight, Nelith Sigirige, Pierce Schaefer.
Caterina Arena-Saia is a founding member of The Corporal François (Franck) Dupéré Legacy Memorial.
The Corporal François (Franck) Dupéré Legacy Memorial was established in 2023 by four students from the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board’s ASCEND Student Leadership program. Their mission was to honour fallen Canadian soldiers who served with distinction, by fostering meaningful connections between students and the legacy of service.
This unique memorial will travel from school to school across Canada for the next 100 years. At each stop, a new group of students will research and honour a local Veteran, selecting one fallen soldier to be added to the memorial.
Each year on November 11, the host school will present the life and service of their chosen soldier during the Operation Remembrance ceremony—an event held both online and in person in Ottawa. After the ceremony, the memorial is passed on to the next school, continuing its journey of remembrance.
The vision behind this initiative, led by Caterina and her team, was to unite Canadians across generations in active, heartfelt remembrance. They aimed to create a lasting tribute to all who served, while inspiring youth to embody the values discovered through this project: courage, resilience, leadership, sacrifice, service, compassion, and the will to stand against suffering.
Caterina demonstrated remarkable adaptability throughout the project, overcoming challenges by engaging with her community and national leaders to build lasting support. She and her team met with government officials, connected with the Dupéré family, and formed partnerships with organizations including Veterans Affairs Canada and The Royal Canadian Legion.
Caterina also played a hands-on role in building the memorial—venturing into woodworking for the first time. The team designed and constructed the memorial in their school’s woodshop, then collaborated with members of Corporal Dupéré’s regiment, the 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment. They remained in close contact with Corporal Dupéré’s family and friends, ensuring the memorial reflected his spirit and legacy with authenticity and care.
In 2024, the memorial was hosted by King’s-Edgehill School in Nova Scotia, which chose to honour Captain Nichola Goddard. It was next hosted by Kitsilano Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia for the 11 November 2025 ceremony.