OUR TEAM
Behind Canada SPEAK! is an accomplished brother-sister duo with 16 years of combined experience as competitive speakers. They have ranked Provincially, Nationally, and Internationally in both Speech and Debate, and they strive to pass on their love of Public Speaking and Debating to the next generation of speakers. Our team is committed to providing the students at Canada SPEAK! with an enriching learning experience and fulfilling the organization's motto, "Empowering the voices of tomorrow, one speaker at a time."
Nicholas Viegas
Co-Founder
Natalie Viegas
Co-Founder
Nicholas recently graduated from UBC with an Honours BSc Degree. He has been actively involved in both Debating and Public Speaking for the last nine years. As a high school student, Nicholas won Top Speaker at both the B.C. Provincial Public Speaking Championships and the B.C. Debating Provincial Championships. He qualified for five consecutive National Public Speaking Championships and competed at the 2020 Senior Canadian National Debating Championships. Nicholas represented Team Canada twice at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships and placed Top -10 in the World both times. He has also been active on the university circuit, competing at Princeton IV, and breaking to Novice Semi-Finals at Hart House IV and Novice Finals at Yale IV. Nicholas was selected to compete at the prestigious World University Debating Championships in his freshman year and served as Training Director, VP External and Co-President of the UBC Debate Society. He is very excited to inspire the newest generation of debaters and public speakers, and looks forward to sharing the various perspectives and insights he has gained over the years with the students at Canada SPEAK!.
Natalie, a 3rd-year Science student at UBC, has gained extensive experience in Debating and Public Speaking over the past seven years. Her involvement in competitive Debate and Speech has brought her to Montreal, Winnipeg, Boston, Toronto, and Oxford. A 7-time high school Provincial Public Speaking Finalist, Natalie competed in three B.C. Provincial Public Speaking Championships and represented B.C. at three National Championships. At each of her three appearances on the national stage, Natalie finished as a Finalist. She is also an accomplished debater, having qualified for the B.C. Provincial Debate Championships three times and advancing to both the Junior Canadian National Debating Championships and the Senior Canadian National Debating Championships. In 2021, she was a Quarterfinalist at Senior Nationals. Natalie has remained an active debater at the university level. She was a Finalist and the Top Novice Speaker at Pacific Cup IV 2023 and served as the Training Director of the UBC Debate Society. Natalie looks forward to working with Canada SPEAK! students and is excited to instill in them the same passion for speaking that has sustained her throughout her Public Speaking and Debating journey.