Bedford, Quebec (town)

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

Bedford (French pronunciation: [bɛdfœʁd]) is a city located in the Eastern Townships region of southern Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 2,684. This small community is just an hour's drive from larger cities such as Burlington and Montreal.

Bedford
City
Location within Brome-Missisquoi RCM.
Bedford Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°07′N 72°59′W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Estrie
RCM	Brome-Missisquoi
Constituted	November 21, 1866
Government [2][3]
• Mayor	Claude Dubois
• Federal riding	Brome—Missisquoi
• Prov. riding	Brome-Missisquoi
Area [2][4]
• Total	4.40 km2 (1.70 sq mi)
• Land	4.20 km2 (1.62 sq mi)
Elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Population  (2011)[4]
• Total	2,684
• Density	639.4/km2 (1,656/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	2.8%
• Dwellings	1,276
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0J 1A0
Area codes	450 and 579
Highways	R-202 R-235
Exchange#	248
GNBC Code	EFMFP
NTS Map	31H2 Cowansville
Geocode	2446035
People	Bedfordite

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 Estrie.

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 steppe leading to the Appalachian Mountains, the town is separated into north and south parts by the Pike River (Rivière aux Brochets).

Demographics

Historical Census Data - Bedford (city), Quebec^[5]

Year	Pop.	±%
1991	2,665	—
1996	2,748	+3.1%
2001	2,667	−2.9%
2006	2,612	−2.1%
2011	2,684	+2.8%

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bedford had a population of 2,558 living in 1,233 of its 1,324 total private dwellings, a change of -0.1% from its 2016 population of 2,560. With a land area of 4.23 km² (1.63 sq mi), it had a population density of 604.7/km² (1,566.2/sq mi) in 2021.^[6]

Canada census – Bedford (city), Quebec community profile

	2021	2011
Population	2,558 (-0.1% from 2016)	2,684 (+2.8% from 2006)
Land area	4.23 km2 (1.63 sq mi)	4.20 km2 (1.62 sq mi)
Population density	604.3/km2 (1,565/sq mi)	639.4/km2 (1,656/sq mi)
Median age	50.4 (M: 48.8, F: 52.4)	46.8 (M: 44.6, F: 48.2)
Private dwellings	1,324 (total)  1,233 (occupied)	1,276 (total)
Median household income	$$55,600	$36,266

References: 2021^[7] 2011^[8]

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Bedford (city), Quebec[5]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		2,555		1,910	2.4%	74.76%		540	9.1%	21.14%		70	55.5%	2.74%		35	36.4%	1.37%
2006		2,460		1,865	2.1%	75.81%		495	5.7%	20.12%		45	10.0%	1.83%		55	35.3%	2.24%
2001		2,565		1,905	8.2%	74.27%		525	0.0%	20.47%		50	233.3%	1.95%		85	466.7%	3.31%
1996		2,630		2,075	n/a	78.90%		525	n/a	19.96%		15	n/a	0.57%		15	n/a	0.57%

Parishes

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

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 figure skate, or play hockey or curling, at the Centre sportif. Every year since 1969, Bedford has held a PeeWee hockey exchange with Kensington, PEI.

Schools

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

Notable people

• 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
• Marcellus Gilmore Edson (1849-1940), chemist who invented peanut butter.

See also

• List of anglophone communities in Quebec
• List of cities in Quebec