Joe Keeper
Encyclopedia
Joseph Benjamin Keeper was a Canadian
long distance runner
, and a member of the 1912 Canadian Olympic team
.
Keeper, a member of the Norway House
Cree
First Nation, was born at Walker Lake, Manitoba. He was sent to Brandon
for schooling at the Brandon Indian Residential School, and it was while there, at high school, that he showed an enthusiasm for long distance running.
In 1910, Keeper moved to Winnipeg, where he joined the North End Amateur Athletic Club. The following year he set a Canadian record for the ten mile run.
In 1912, he was selected to the Canadian Olympic team
, and participated at the 1912 Summer Olympics
at Stockholm
, Sweden
. He raced in the 5000 metre run
and in the 10,000 metre run
, where he finished fourth, the best result ever for a Canadian runner in that event.
In 1916, Keeper joined the Army, and served for two years in France
. He received a Military Medal for his actions during the war http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg45_e.html. In 1917, Keeper joined with Tom Longboat
to win an inter-Allied cross country
championship near Vimy Ridge
. Longboat, Keeper, and other First Nation long-distance runners A. Jamieson and John Nackaway served as despatch carriers for the 107th Pioneer Battalion. http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/canada-worldwar1-24.shtml
Following the war, he returned to Winnipeg, where he worked as a carpenter, before moving back to the northern part of the province, where he worked for the Hudson's Bay Company
until he retired in 1951. He and his wife Christina McLeod http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/METISGEN/2002-12/1039754933 had four sons and three daughters. His granddaughter is actress and politician Tina Keeper
.
The Joe Keeper Memorial Run (now the Joe Keeper - Angela Chalmers
celebration run) is held each spring by the Manitoba Runners’ Association.http://www.mfnerc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=6&id=23&Itemid=50. The Norway House Cree Nation holds memorial races in Keeper's name. http://www.nhcn.ca/yorkboatdays/media/results-2007.html
Keeper was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
in 1984.http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/NASSH_Proceedings/NP1994/NP1994n.pdf
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
long distance runner
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
, and a member of the 1912 Canadian Olympic team
Canada at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Canada competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.- Gold:* George Goulding — Athletics, Men's 10 km Walk* George Hodgson — Swimming, Men's 400 m Freestyle* George Hodgson — Swimming, Men's 1500 m Freestyle- Silver:...
.
Keeper, a member of the Norway House
Norway House, Manitoba
- Treaty and York Boat Days :Held annually each summer, the York Boat events serve as the main attraction.-External links:* * * *...
Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
First Nation, was born at Walker Lake, Manitoba. He was sent to Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
for schooling at the Brandon Indian Residential School, and it was while there, at high school, that he showed an enthusiasm for long distance running.
In 1910, Keeper moved to Winnipeg, where he joined the North End Amateur Athletic Club. The following year he set a Canadian record for the ten mile run.
In 1912, he was selected to the Canadian Olympic team
Canada at the Summer Olympics
Canada has competed at 23 Summer Olympic Games, missing only the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics and the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics. The nation made its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics...
, and participated at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
at Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He raced in the 5000 metre run
Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Men's 5000 metres
The men's 5000 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the debut of the event, which along with the 10000 metre event replaced the 5 mile race held at the 1908 Summer Olympics...
and in the 10,000 metre run
Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Men's 10000 metres
The men's 10,000 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the debut of the event, which along with the 5000 metres replaced the 5 mile race held at the 1908 Summer Olympics...
, where he finished fourth, the best result ever for a Canadian runner in that event.
In 1916, Keeper joined the Army, and served for two years in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He received a Military Medal for his actions during the war http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg45_e.html. In 1917, Keeper joined with Tom Longboat
Tom Longboat
Cogwagee was an Onondaga distance runner from the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Indian reserve near Brantford, Ontario, and for much of his career the dominant long distance runner of the time...
to win an inter-Allied cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
championship near Vimy Ridge
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
. Longboat, Keeper, and other First Nation long-distance runners A. Jamieson and John Nackaway served as despatch carriers for the 107th Pioneer Battalion. http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/canada-worldwar1-24.shtml
Following the war, he returned to Winnipeg, where he worked as a carpenter, before moving back to the northern part of the province, where he worked for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
until he retired in 1951. He and his wife Christina McLeod http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/METISGEN/2002-12/1039754933 had four sons and three daughters. His granddaughter is actress and politician Tina Keeper
Tina Keeper
Tina Keeper, OM , is a Cree activist, producer, former actress and former member of the Canadian House of Commons.Keeper is best known for her role as RCMP officer Michelle Kenidi in the CBC Television series North of 60, about the fictional aboriginal community of Lynx River. She also hosted a...
.
The Joe Keeper Memorial Run (now the Joe Keeper - Angela Chalmers
Angela Chalmers
Angela Chalmers is a retired Canadian track and field athlete who competed in the 1500 m and 3000 m....
celebration run) is held each spring by the Manitoba Runners’ Association.http://www.mfnerc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=6&id=23&Itemid=50. The Norway House Cree Nation holds memorial races in Keeper's name. http://www.nhcn.ca/yorkboatdays/media/results-2007.html
Keeper was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
in 1984.http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/NASSH_Proceedings/NP1994/NP1994n.pdf
External links
- http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ks/vet/vet01_e.htmlPhoto of Joe Keeper running in a 1918 Dominion DayDominion DayDominion Day is a commemoration day of the granting of national status in various Commonwealth countries.-Canada:Dominion Day was the name of the holiday commemorating the formation of Canada as a Dominion on 1 July 1867...
race]