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Bedford
City
Location within Brome-Missisquoi RCM.
BedfordLocation in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°07′N 72°59′W / 45.117°N 72.983°W / 45.117; -72.983
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Estrie
RCM	Brome-Missisquoi
Constituted	November 21, 1866
Government
• Mayor	Claude Dubois
• Federal riding	Brome—Missisquoi
• Prov. riding	Brome-Missisquoi
Area
• Total	4.40 km (1.70 sq mi)
• Land	4.20 km (1.62 sq mi)
Elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Population
• Total	2,684
• Density	639.4/km (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 code(s)	450 and 579
Highways	R-202 R-235
Exchange#	248
GNBC Code	EFMFP
NTS Map	31H2 Cowansville
Geocode	2446035
People	Bedfordite

Bedford (French pronunciation: [bɛdfœʁd]) is a city located in the Estrie 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.

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

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 km (1.63 sq mi), it had a population density of 604.7/km (1,566.2/sq mi) in 2021.

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Bedford (city), Quebec
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

References

1. "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 4594". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
2. ^ "Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Frelighsburg". Archived from the original on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
3. "Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: BROME--MISSISQUOI (Quebec)". Archived from the original on 2009-06-09. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
4. ^ 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Bedford, Quebec
5. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
6. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
7. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
8. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
9. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
10. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.

External links

• Official web site

v t e Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions
Bedford (township) Bedford (township) Bedford (town) Bedford (township) Bedford (township)

v t e  Subdivisions of Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality
Cities & Towns	Bedford Bromont Cowansville Dunham Farnham Brome Lake (Lac-Brome) Sutton
Municipalities	Brigham East Farnham Frelighsburg Notre-Dame-de-Stanbridge Pike River Saint-Armand Saint-Ignace-de-Stanbridge Sainte-Sabine Stanbridge East Stanbridge Station West Bolton (Bolton-Ouest)
Townships	Bedford
Villages	Abercorn Brome

• Cities and towns in Quebec
• Incorporated places in Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality