HANDBELL MUSICIANS OF CANADA |
How did handbell ringing begin in Canada?
Handbells were introduced into Canada at a much slower rate. Three sets of handbells are known to have existed in Canada before the 1960s. These were in Regina, Saskatchewan; Brantford, Ontario; and Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1962, Schulmerich Carillons' district manager for western Canada, John S. Nelson Sr, arranged for his church, First Baptist in Calgary, to purchase a two-octave set of Schulmerich handbells. Under the direction of his wife, Carol, the first handbell choir to play Schulmerich handbells in Canada performed in 1963. Other handbell choirs formed about the same time: Robertson-Wesley United Church (Edmonton, Alberta, 1964); First Baptist Church (Moncton, Nova Scotia, 1964); Brunswick Street Baptist Church (Fredericton, New Brunswick 1966), and Tec Voc High School (Winnipeg, Manitoba,1966). Knox Metropolitan United Church in Edmonton, Alberta and Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary, Alberta also purchased Whitechapel handbells from England around the same time. The first set of Malmark handbells was brought to Canada in 1985 by Robertson-Wesley United Church in Edmonton, Alberta. |