GFESS says goodbye to Principal Louws, one vice-principal
June 29, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Principal Fred Louws is leaving Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (GFESS), closing a decade-long chapter at the helm of a school he helped build from the ground up.
During the GFESS council meeting on April 20, Louws announced he will be officially retiring at the end of January 2027. Vice-principal Norbert Kubic will also be leaving GFESS and transferring to Stamford Collegiate.
“This is my final GFESS grad, and I am so pleased to share this personal moment with this particular group, once again, the class of 2026,” said Louws at GFESS’s graduation ceremony on Thursday.
Principal Fred Louws giving his ninth and final principal’s address for GFESS’s graduation ceremony. Credit: Andrew Hawlitzky | Fort Erie RadioEastdale Secondary School Principal Josh Conner will replace Louws upon his retirement.
Louws has been GFESS’s principal since the school first opened in 2017, but spent three years prior as principal of both Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School and Fort Erie Secondary School.
He bounced between the two schools, taking special care to soften the merger of both student bodies–which had a longstanding rivalry–into GFESS.
Louws emphasized how it took a village to make GFESS a reality, and that the entire town has contributed to the mentorship of the graduating class, alongside their families.
“The values they instilled in you, have brought you this far in your lives,” said Louws.
Credit: Andrew Hawlitzky | Fort Erie RadioGFESS’s motto, “In Communitate Optimus,” meaning the best in the community, was chosen to emphasize the union of both schools that came before.
“Your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, pretty much the entire town of Fort Erie, have all contributed in raising you, mentoring you and loving you.”
The ninth GFESS graduation ceremony took place June 25 in the Fort Erie Leisureplex where hundreds of friends, families and faculty gathered to celebrate the achievements and resilience of the class of 2026, walking away with nearly $100,000 in scholarships, bursaries and awards.
EDITOR’S NOTE | June 29, 2026 @ 8:36 p.m.: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that vice-principal Erica Dorinzi will be leaving GFESS; the story has since been corrected.
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About The Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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