St. Teresa CES Student Advances to Provincial Public Speaking Finals
April 30, 2026
Johnny Mantifel, a Grade 4 student in Ms. Lemay’s class at St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough, is commanding the spotlight with his exceptional oratory skills.
After a remarkable winning streak, Johnny has secured his spot as one of only four finalists in the Provincial Legion Public Speaking Contest.
Johnny’s journey to the top has been nothing short of a marathon. To reach this stage, he earned first-place honors at six consecutive levels of competition:
- Classroom
- School
- Legion
- Zone
- District
- Area
He now stands as the sole representative for Eastern Ontario, emerging from a massive pool of competitors representing more than 100 Legions across the region.
This weekend, Johnny will travel to Napanee to compete against three other students—each representing the Northern, Western, and Southern regions of Ontario—for the provincial title in the Grades 4–6 category.
The timing of this achievement adds an extra layer of prestige, as the Ontario Legion is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The provincial finals serve as a cornerstone event for this historic milestone.
The entire PVNC Catholic community is incredibly proud of Johnny’s dedication, eloquence, and poise.
We wish him the very best of luck as he takes the stage in Napanee to represent St. Teresa CES and our entire Board on the provincial stage.