The arrival of handbells in Canada

Various individuals and groups have been credited with the introduction of handbells to North America in the mid-1800’s. The most interesting and colourful story is that in 1844 the great showman, P.T. Barnum, arranged for the Lancashire Ringers from England to tour the US. Handbells did not resurface in North American news again until 1923 when a handbell choir, the Beacon Hill Ringers, was organized in Boston by Mrs. Margaret Shurcliff. The popularity of handbell ringing grew in the USA and by 1954 the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers was formed.

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.

handbell ringing history in Canada 

Handbell ringing began in Canada primarily as a recreational and social activity, but it was also introduced in churches to encourage boys' choir members to continue in the church after their voices changed. Handbell ringing is now included in school music education programs, church music worship programs, and as an activity in recreational and seniors centers. Some individual soloists and community ensembles are also active. Performances of handbell ringing can be heard in school concerts, church services, community and performing arts centers, and anywhere else that a community gathers including parks, shopping malls, and online.

Handbells have had wide ranging exposure since their introduction into Canada. In the early 1990s, Resonance Appeal, a community ensemble led by William Hutton, performed twice with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of David Hoyt for their Christmas events with special guests such as Maureen Forrester. The Okanagan Handbell Chorus performed in the 2014 and 2017 Christmas concerts with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. A youth handbell choir from St John's York Mills Anglican Church in Toronto played in a television commercial for Swiss Chalet. A handbell group from Prince George, BC, played at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan at the invitation of the Japanese government. Tracey Boyle from Saskatchewan impressed with her solo handbell performance in the 1987 Miss Canada Pageant. In 2004, ringers in Edmonton took part in the feature film Santa's Slay. Ringers from British Columbia and Manitoba were featured in Christmas Hallmark movies Christmas Bells are Ringing (2018) and Christmas Club (2019) respectively.

Canadian guilds have hosted handbell festivals and other large-scale events at which handbell musicians take part in massed ringing rehearsals and performances, learning workshops, and mini-concerts showcasing soloists, small ensembles, and individual choirs. The Alberta Guild of English Handbell Ringers (ALGEHR) hosted the first handbell festival in Calgary in 1984, attracting 300 ringers from across Canada and the U.S. John S. Nelson organized a festival in conjunction with Expo 86 in Vancouver. In 1998, the first Ringing Link festival was hosted by the Saskatchewan Guild of English Handbell Ringers (SGEHR) followed with conferences held in Edmonton AB (2000), Winnipeg MB (2002), Penticton BC (2005), London ON (2008), Calgary AB (2011), and again in Winnipeg MB (2014). The International Handbell Symposium has been held three times in Canada: in Edmonton (1992), in Toronto (2004), and in Vancouver (2016). Each event attracted approximately 600-800 ringers from around the world.

handbell ringing continues in Canada 

Handbell activities across the country continue to this day. The handbell community is growing and learning, and our instrument has seen incredible developments in variety of techniques, compositions, team sizes & locations of performances. Handbell Musicians of Canada (HMC) aims to keep ringers across the country informed about future events, programs and activities that will be happening. Become a member to stay informed, and join others who are passionate about this team instrument (LINK TO MEMBERSHIP) .

Canadian Handbell Guilds:

The following Canadian provincial handbell guilds offer a variety of classes, workshops, festivals and conferences to support the learning of their membership. Please refer to the provincial handbell guild webpages and contact info for more information.

British Columbia Guild of English Handbell Ringers (BCGEHR) - www.bcgehr.com
Alberta Guild of English Handbell Ringers (ALGEHR) - www.algehr.org
Manitoba Guild of English Handbell Ringers (MBGEHR) - www.mbgehr.ca
Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers (OGEHR) - www.ogehr.ca

Classic Bronze Handbell Ringers Association (Advanced Ringing Event in Alberta):

Susan Galloway and Camille Ream, with the support of John Hooper, started Classic Bronze in 2007 at Concordia University in Edmonton. This biennial advanced ringing event successfully continued in Edmonton until 2023. The event has moved to Calgary (with a new Board and volunteers) and for the first time, will take place in August, 2025. 

See Classic Bronze Calgary for more information about the 2025 event (Beginner to Advanced Ringers) and for a full history of this incredible ringing event.