From The Calgary Herald Oct 28, 1978
E.V. Keith: Builder’s Vision Establishes Housing Trend, Construction Standards

The newspaper headline on March 2nd, 1968 read, 'Construction Firm President Named White Hatter of the Year". It referred to the presentation to E.V. Keith the evening before of this prestigious local award.: Presented for outstanding service to the tourist industry in Calgary, it was conferred that night by the Calgary Tourist and Convention Association in recognition of: "a man who has, quietly and without much thought of acclaim, given Calgary much of interest to both visitors and local citizens."

It was certainly a fitting occasion for bestowing such an honor on Mr. Keith. Tribute was being paid for the contributions that he had made through the years to the city. These were described as: "firm insistence on superior quality of work and aesthetic value in any project in which his company was involved; an unprecedented tree-planting program that has added much to the beauty of Calgary; dozens of playgrounds, skating rinks, tot-lots, community buildings and two golf courses".

And yet, incredibly, the best was still to come. That very day, E.V. Keith had sent 40 pieces of major earth moving equipment roaring into action on a stubble field south of Anderson Road in the Southeast part of the city. Keith had begun work on a contribution to the city which would become as much a part of the personality of Calgary as the white Stetson itself — Lake Bonavista.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the building of Lake Bonavista. With the turning over of the lake to the residents' association it marks the end of just one of many projects through which E.V. Keith
contributed so much to Calgary in his long career.

Ellis V. Keith was born in the Samoan Islands in 1917. His father was a missionary teacher and moved the family to Cardston, Alberta in 1920. E.V. was educated at the Cardston public and Raymond high schools. Upon graduating, he immediately went into business for himself. That was short-lived however, and he then took over the operation of an egg-grading station at Raymond. Realizing he needed more education, he moved to Edmonton and enrolled in an accounting course while working in a liquor store. In 1941 he joined the land titles department in Calgary, staying until 1944. That was the last year he ever worked for anyone else.

EV. Keith spent many early mornings before going in to the land titles office pounding nails as he built his first house, Its sale in 1944 marked his full-time entry into the construction business. Taking the proceeds from the sale he went out and hired a half dozen carpenters and, acting as his own foreman, bookkeeper, and salesman, began building homes. They weren't award winners, but they were what people needed at the time. By 1950 he felt he was ready to build homes on a large-scale. basis and he Incorporated as Keith Construction Company Limited.

In 1953 he formed the Kelwood land development partnership with other local parties. Building on Kellwood lots, Keith homes went up in the communities of Glendale, Highwood, Wildwood, Kingsland, Haysboro and Fairview. From a beginning of one house in 1944, E.V. Keith was building 900 homes in Haysboro alone by 1958.
Even though his company had become one of the largest house builders in the city, it did not occupy all of Mr. Keith's time. His favourite recreations were yachting and fishing and he pursued them with the same intensity which ruled his business ambitions.

E.V. Keith has always been possessed by a restless nature. He is a man who is never at peace unless he is creating and when something strikes his imagination he devotes boundless energy to bring it to reality.

This was never more true than during the 1960's, 60's and early 70's when his enthusiasm embraced such diverse protects as building Willow Park Golf Course and sponsoring Pro-Am and CPGA tournaments, to increasing local anglers' chances by freeing 6,000 rainbow trout into the Elbow River.

Ellis V. Keith should have as his family motto "If at first you don't succeed, try again." It took him two tries to succeed at owning his own business and he later repeated this performance in attempting to retire. In 1960, at age 43, he sold his interests in E.V. Keith Enterprises, the controlling entity of Keith Construction Company Limited. One year later his restless energy caused him to buy back the controlling interest and he led the company through the heady days of Willow Park and Lake Bonavista.

He insisted all the while on superior quality of work and aesthetic values — the characteristics he was known for and which Keith Construction Company Limited has never lost.

Mr. Keith began his second and successful retirement when he sold his interests to Genstar in 1972. He and his wife Eunice divide their time between residences in Calgary, British Columbia and Arizona. E.V. Keith pursues his old passion for yachting and fishing and his imagination has led him to a new pursuit.

He has taken up painting; a pastime which allows him to take full advantage of his aesthetic values. It is these same values which distinguish the contributions this dynamic individual has made, "quietly and without much thought of acclaim", to the City of Calgary.

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Obituary of Ellis Vee Keith from Calgary Herald 12/17/1985

Funeral services were held Monday for Ellis (Vee) Keith, 68, a trail-blazer in house-building here for 25 years and a pioneer in the greening of Calgary.

As founder-owner of Keith Construction, and one of the founders of Kelwood Corporation, he was instrumental in introducing to Calgary the concept of controlled subdivision development. It reached its peak with the Lake Bonavista and Willow Park developments which included amenities like a golf course and a lakeside park.

His subdivisions also were noted for their instant landscaping, the transplanting of thousands of trees which removed from the city landscape those raw, treeless
tracts that until then marked new subdivisions. Tree planting launched a tree farm industry where trees were grown just for the purpose of greening Calgary.