John Meredith was born in Fergus, Ontario in 1933, however, he grew up in Brampton, Ontario. He has been interested in drawing and painting since a young age. Later, Meredith decided he wanted to study at the Ontario College of Art. 

After college, he moved back to Brampton and worked different jobs to support his art. He went on to open his own studio in Toronto, Ontario, shortly after having his first exhibit at the Gallery of Contemporary Art in Toronto in 1958.