Bedford, Quebec (town)

Bedford 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 km 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 NaN% from its 2016 population of $2,560$. With a land area of 4.23 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

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.