Bedford, Quebec (city)

For the neighboring township of the same name, see Bedford, Quebec (township).

Bedford, Quebec
—  Ville  —
Location within Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality.
Coordinates (1, rue Principale ): 45°07′17″N 72°59′16″W
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	Brome-Missisquoi
Established	November 21, 1866
Incorporated	April 02, 1890
Electoral Districts Federal	Brome—Missisquoi
Provincial	Brome-Missisquoi
Government
• Mayor	Claude Dubois
• Federal MP(s)	Pierre Jacob (NDP)
• Quebec MNA(s)	Pierre Paradis (PLQ)
Area
• Land	4.20 km2 (1.62 sq mi)
Elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	2,612
• Density	622.2/km2 (1,611/sq mi)
• Change (2001-06)	2.1%
• Dwellings	1,261
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code(s)	J0J 1A0
Area code(s)	450
Access Routes	Route 202 Route 235
Exchange#	248
GNBC Code	EFMFP
NTS Map	031H02
Geocode	2446035
People	Bedfordite
Website	www.bedfordplus.com

Bedford is a town located in the Montérégie region of southern Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 2,612. This small community is just a half hour's drive from larger cities such as Burlington and Montreal, and is the home to southern Quebec's largest boy scout troop.^{[citation needed]}

History

The first settlers arrived in 1812.

Origin of the name

The name "Bedford" could have been given by Loyalists who knew of several Bedfords back in the former American colonies. The name could also have been a tribute to Lord John Russell, who was the fourth Duke of Bedford (1710-1771), an English politician and Secretary of State (1748-1751), and governor general of Ireland from 1756 to 1761.

Geography

Bedford is part of Brome-Missisquoi regional county municipality, in the administrative region of Montérégie.

The town, located 86 kilometres (53 mi) southeast of Montreal, is completely enclaved within the township of Bedford. Seated in the Saint-Lawrence lowlands, at the beginning of the steep leading to the Appalachian Mountains, the Pike River (Rivière aux Brochets) flows through the middle of the town, separating it into south and north parts.

Demographics

Population

Population trend

Census	Population	Change (%)
2006	2,612	2.1%
2001	2,667	2.9%
1996	2,748	3.1%
1991	2,665	N/A

Language

Mother tongue language (2006)

Language	Population	Pct (%)
French only	1,865	75.81%
English only	495	20.12%
Both English and French	45	1.83%
Other languages	55	2.24%

About 20% of the population is Anglophone, many families having settled there after the arrival of the Loyalists in 1776.

Parishes

• Roman Catholic Church
• Saint Mitchels Parish
• Le frontere Perish
• The Anglican Parish of Bedford, Philipsburg and Farnham

Activities

Every year since 1828, at the beginning of August, the town holds its annual fair, the oldest of its kind in Quebec and the second oldest in Canada. One can play hockey, curling or figure skate at the Centre sportif. Every year since 1969, Bedford has held a PeeWee hockey exchange with Kensington, PE.

Schools

• École primaire et secondaire Monseigneur-Desranleau (French)
• École primaire du Premier Envol (French)
• Butler Elementary (English 1-7)

Notable people from Bedford

• Eric Henry Kemp (1908-1975) Mayor of Bedford in the 1950s.
• Rob Kemp (1972-), Radio Host. Weekdays 1-4pm. CHOM 977 FM Montreal
• Georges Thurston (1951-2007) a.k.a Boule Noire, R&B singer for 30 years.
• Pierre Paradis (1950-), Member of National Assembly of Quebec for 25 years and former Cabinet Minister
• Niamh Leonard (1992-) Official spokeswoman for Lychee Canada Inc.
• Dominic Messier (1974-), Toronto-based National Freelance Film Critic

External links

• Official web site
• Bedford fair