Building History
The early Anglican community of Bedford first held services in a school in the area of First Avenue.
In February 1864, George Lister sold a parcel of his land at the corner of Wardour and Perth Streets to be used for the building of a church, as well as land for a cemetery for the use of the Church of England. The first All Saints Church was built on that site and opened for services in February 1869. At that time All Saints was considered part of the Parish of Sackville. Anglican worship continued at that site until 1905.
The present church was built on the main road in Bedford at a cost of $5,607.00. The new church was designed by PEI architect William Chritchlow Harris, who has since become famous for his unique church designs. The old church was no longer needed and it was sold and moved from the cemetery to a location across the street. The building still stands and is now a private residence.
All Saints remained part of the Parish of Sackville until 1922, when Bedford, Waverley, and Windsor Junction were made into a parish. As the population continued to grow, in 1967 it became necessary to divide the Parish again and Bedford’s All Saints became a one point parish.
The All Saints Church we enjoy today is well past the one hundred year mark. The rich wood interior has retained its original beauty. The stained glass windows are exquisite and are wonderful memorials. Although additions have been made to the original building and the entrances have been changed, the interior has been preserved. How fortunate we are to have this wonderful place of worship. All saints history in Bedford began in 1869. That makes this parish 149 years old in 2018.
All Saints Cemetery
All Saints Cemetery is located at the junction of Perth and Wardour Streets in Bedford, NS. The cemetery is intended for use by any member of All Saints Anglican Church, any member of the Anglican community of the town of Bedford and any past supporting member of our parish regardless of current place of residence.
When a burial plot is purchased a “conveyance” is provided in the name of the purchaser, this is considered the deed to the lot. The conveyance stipulates regulations pertaining to the use of the lot and general information regarding the responsibilities of the purchaser and of All Saints Anglican Church.
Perpetual care for each burial is included in the purchase price. Perpetual care provides for the ongoing maintenance of the burial lot and cemetery grounds. Fifty percent (50%) of the purchase price of a burial lot is forwarded to the “Grave Lot Fund” that is controlled by the Anglican Diocese. This is a mutual investment fund that provides a dividend to the cemetery twice a year. The other half of the burial lot price is used for maintenance, repairs and improvements for the cemetery.
The cemetery is not responsible for the maintenance or repairs to any tombstone or markers on the burial lot. Lot owners and visitors are encouraged to not leave waste and debris on the cemetery grounds or near the shed as we do not have an active waste or compost removal program in place.
For information on plot fees, both full size and for cremations, please reach out to Bob Attenborough.
150th Anniversary
In addition to celebrating our accomplishments and our fellowship, we wanted to acknowledge our past, to respect our heritage and to look to the future. Associated goals were to build awareness of All Saints in the community, to grow our community recognition, and to engage with greater numbers of people. Part of the strategy in undertaking this was to raise our profile in the community, in the media, in local government and with selected community groups to engage in further self help projects. Our goal was to integrate activities that already formed part of our Parish with some new activities.
We set out to host about 12 activities or one per month. While that was ambitious, we actually held more activities than originally planned thanks to many volunteers.
We also changed from a dinner to a community based Celebration Service to align with our Anniversary Celebration as this was more in line with the wishes of Parish members and our funding needs.
Some activities are still progressing such as our Directory.
Overall, this was a positive experience and one of growth as well as celebration. We learnt a lot, listened to suggestions for change and achieved greater awareness of our work with the City and Government.
A brief list of some of the activities follow:
- Opening blessing & dedication on November 4, 2018 .. All Saint’s Day media coverage including invited guests such as Tim Outhit. Focus was on what All Saints means to me. We also released the 150th prayer.
- November, 2019 held Christmas Dinner and Choir Performance, a regular event integrating usual activities and promotion of the 150th.
- February, 2019 held usual Men’s Brunch & integrated
- March, 2019 held our usual Pancake Supper
- April 28, 2019 held our Annual Appreciation Luncheon & 150th cake with C & C Group 6. May 25, 2019 held our first Jiggs Dinner and Newfie night featuring food, music, fun, refreshments
- May/June, 2019 Began preparing our Church Directory
- May 30, 2019 held first of series of Boxwood Musical Performances
- June, 2019 held the usual Lobster Take Out
- July 30, 2019 held the second in a series of Boxwood Musical Performance 11. September, 2019 held the usual Back to Church event
- September, 6, 2019 hosted the Erma Bombeck Play had to cancel performances due to weather.. rescheduled for June, 2020
- November 3rd 2019 held our Anniversary Service and Community Gathering featuring special guests, celebration of groups with whom we work, special greetings from the City and Government and other partners
- Christmas Eve Services, 2019 .. Conducted a Survey with persons who attended services on their expectations and wishes regarding services & programs by All Saints.
- January 18, 2020 hosted a Community Forum for Seniors featuring a variety of speakers on family, nutrition, keeping active, legalities and well being & healthy aging.
- Conducted a survey on desired services and follow up activities which are now being planned
- Continuing… to follow will be a Survey for Parishioners on Visioning
A brief list of some of the activities follow:
- Opening blessing & dedication on November 4, 2018 .. All Saint’s Day media coverage including invited guests such as Tim Outhit. Focus was on what All Saints means to me. We also released the 150th prayer.
- November, 2019 held Christmas Dinner and Choir Performance, a regular event integrating usual activities and promotion of the 150th.
- February, 2019 held usual Men’s Brunch & integrated
- March, 2019 held our usual Pancake Supper
- April 28, 2019 held our Annual Appreciation Luncheon & 150th cake with C & C Group 6. May 25, 2019 held our first Jiggs Dinner and Newfie night featuring food, music, fun, refreshments
- May/June, 2019 Began preparing our Church Directory
- May 30, 2019 held first of series of Boxwood Musical Performances
- June, 2019 held the usual Lobster Take Out
- July 30, 2019 held the second in a series of Boxwood Musical Performance 11. September, 2019 held the usual Back to Church event
- September, 6, 2019 hosted the Erma Bombeck Play had to cancel performances due to weather.. rescheduled for June, 2020
- November 3rd 2019 held our Anniversary Service and Community Gathering featuring special guests, celebration of groups with whom we work, special greetings from the City and Government and other partners
- Christmas Eve Services, 2019 .. Conducted a Survey with persons who attended services on their expectations and wishes regarding services & programs by All Saints.
- January 18, 2020 hosted a Community Forum for Seniors featuring a variety of speakers on family, nutrition, keeping active, legalities and well being & healthy aging.
- Conducted a survey on desired services and follow up activities which are now being planned
- Continuing… to follow will be a Survey for Parishioners on Visioning