Gordon Canning

Gordon Canning was born in London, England, but refers to Cornwall, Ontario, as his hometown. He started his career in the ski business at Blue Mountain Resort in 1970 under the direction of his Ski Hall of Fame father-in-law, Jozo Weider.  

Gordon became President of the resort in 1978 and led the business until 2014 when he retired. Under his leadership, Blue Mountain made numerous advancements in snowmaking technology and high-speed lifts.  Gordon’s knowledge and analytical skills led him to overseeing research and development for the Canadian ski industry, studying skier population, demographics, growth, and patterns of visitation, which contributed to raising the standards and the modernization of ski resorts across Canada.

Gordon developed Blue Mountain into a year around resort.  He also led a successful partnership with Intrawest (1999) to create and build Blue Mountain Village. As a highly respected leader, Gordon developed a culture at Blue Mountain which led to high levels of service and numerous loyal employees with tenure of 30 to 40 years. 

Leaders in the resort industry continue to embrace Gordon Canning’s values and management concepts.  In recognition of his remarkable contribution as a builder in the snow sports and resort industries, Gordon has been honoured with multiple ski industry awards including the Canadian Ski Council’s Judith Kilbourne Founders Award – 2002, the Jimmie Spencer Leadership Award – 2006 and the National Ski Areas Association Award – 2011. 

Gordon is also a generous supporter of local community organizations in the Blue Mountain and Collingwood region. The Town of Blue Mountains has named a street after him in honour of his contribution to the growth of skiing and snowboarding and their impact on the local economy. He is a lifetime honorary member of the Toronto Ski Club, the Canadian Ski Patrol System and the Ontario Snow Resorts Association. 

After his retirement, Gordon travelled extensively around the world and continues to live in his family home on the slopes of Blue Mountain. He remains an avid skier and a golfer. Gordon is also the proud grandpa of 6 beautiful grandchildren and his daughter Andrea is a national correspondent with NBC in New York City. Gordon’s late wife, Katherine Weider Canning, grew up at Blue Mountain and was a champion ski racer.

Together with members of the Weider family, Gordon has realized much of Jozo’s dream. The Weider/Canning legacy will live on at Blue Mountain for many decades to come. 

Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © 2022, Canadian Ski Museum & Hall of Fame. All Rights Reserved.