Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (GFESS) students earned two medals at the 2026 Skills Ontario competition, with Gabrielle Cudmore winning gold in Job Skill Demonstration and advancing to the national championship later this month.
The provincial competition ran May 4 to 6 at the Toronto Congress Centre and brought together secondary and post-secondary students from across Ontario in skilled trades and technology contests.
GFESS students competed in four categories. Gabrielle Cudmore won gold in Job Skill Demonstration and Jocelyn Burns earned bronze in Hairstyling. James Mullen competed in Automotive Service and Logan Wells competed in Precision Machining.
Cudmore’s winning presentation demonstrated how to bake Welsh cakes and explored Welsh culture through the recipe and preparation process. She will represent Ontario later this month in Saskatchewan at the national competition.
Gabrielle Cudmore prepares Welsh cakes during her gold medal-winning Job Skill Demonstration presentation. Credit: Gabrielle Cudmore | Facebook
Skills Ontario describes the Job Skill Demonstration category as a contest where students must explain and perform a trade-related skill in a 20- to 30-minute presentation judged on technical ability, organization, safety and communication.
The Hairstyling competition, where Burns earned bronze, tested students in long-hair styling, textured hair design and commercial haircutting under industry judging standards and timed conditions.
Mullen competed in Automotive Service, a contest focused on vehicle diagnostics, repair procedures and shop safety. Wells competed in Precision Machining, where students completed milling and lathe projects scored against strict measurement tolerances.
Cudmore said in a social media post that the result followed three years of competition preparation.
“Three years of hard work got me here. Three years of not giving up despite the results,” said Cudmore.
Cudmore also credited GFESS teacher Afshin Keyvani for coaching and mentorship through multiple years of competition preparation.
“You are the reason I kept going even when I wanted to call it quits,” said Cudmore.
Afshin Keyvani, left, stands with Gabrielle Cudmore at the 2026 Skills Ontario competition. Credit: Gabrielle Cudmore | Facebook
GFESS librarian technician Matthew Vandervoet congratulated all four competitors in posts to the school’s official Facebook group after the results were announced.
“Way to make us proud on the provincial stage,” Vandervoet wrote. “We’re all proud of this huge accomplishment.”
Last year, GFESS produced three provincial medal winners, including Autumn Wartman, who later captured bronze at the Skills Canada national competition in Quebec City.
Cudmore is also one of the student writers and directors behind the award-winning GFESS production ‘High School Is Killing Me,’ which advanced to the National Theatre School DramaFest South Regional Showcase earlier this spring.
She will move onto the 2026 Skills Canada National Competition which is scheduled for May 29 and 30 in Toronto.
by Andrew Hawlitzky
Original Article