Local resident organizes collective ringing of the bells and a unique offering of O Canada on July 1
The church bells of Downtown Guelph will ring loud and proud for Canada on July 1st to help celebrate the country's birthday.
Guelph resident Cindy Conlon has gotten the three churches in Downtown Guelph that still have church bells to collectively ring for two minutes at noon on July 1. Following that the carillons of St. George's Church will play O Canada.
"I was reading a historical society publication that talked about church bells ringing in the new year in 1967 to mark the centennial and I thought that it would be good to do the same thing for Canada Day," said Conlon.
She checked with Guelph Museums and the city to make sure she wasn't stepping on anybody's toes and then went about contacting downtown's nine churches.
"It was disappointing to find out only three still have bells, but all three of those were very enthusiastic," Conlon said.
Basilica of Our Lady, Lakeside Hope House and St. George's Church will all be ringing their bells.
Noon was chosen over midnight on July 1 to make sure as many people as possible could enjoy it, Conlon said.
Conlon is asking people to either choose a vantage point downtown to best hear the bells or gather outside St. George’s Church and sing the national anthem along with the playing of the carillons.
