The alpine skiing career of John Keith spans across a period of 36 years of competition under the colours of the Collingwood Collegiate Ski Club and the Collingwood Ski Club.  It started back when he was a teenager.  He won his first downhill title in 1948.  The very next year he was earmarked as a comer when he took the top honours in the Ontario Junior High School championships.

After that the silverware came by the carload. He added two more medals in high school competition in the combined and downhill competition in the combined and downhill competitions.  His 1950 achievements included an important victory by winning the Dr. W.M. Blakely Trophy, emblematic of the Collingwood Ski Club championships in the men’s class “A”.

The same season he placed second in the Ontario high school downhill race and also in the Ontario Intermediate competition.  He was also a member of the Ontario team in the Canadian Junior Ski Championships.

In 1951, John won the Dr. W.M. Blakely Trophy and was runner-up in the men’s slalom and downhill races and the senior combined competition held in London, Ontario.

As a member of the Beaver Valley Ski team in 1961 he won another medal as the team went to the finals in the Southern Division Adult Ski Championships.

With John Keith, skiing became a family affair as attested in four Beaver Valley Family Cup Championships, with John, David and Andrew, in 1979, 1984, 1985, and 1986.

John finished his competitive skiing career with sparkling Beaver Valley titles for men over the age of 45 in 1984, and again in 1986.

The brilliant on-hill exploits of John Keith earned him a special niche in Collingwood’s Sports Hall of Fame on June 11, 1986.