Restored bells get ringing endorsement

Eighteen church bells have returned to St. Dunstan's Basilica in Charlottetown after a tune up, and clean up in South Carolina.

The first bell was lifted up to the north tower Thursday afternoon.

• Tuned up and ready to ring: St. Dunstan's Basilica bells heading home this month

• St. Dunstan's Basilica Parish having historic bells refinished

Local historian Catherine Hennessey has been lobbying to have the bells restored for 10 years and the work is nearly complete.

"I'm excited," she said. "I'm just plain excited."

'An uphill battle'

"It's taken 10 years... It's been an uphill battle," Hennessey said.

Thanks to that battle, the bells are getting a second life.

The bells rested on the sidewalk in front of the Basilica throughout the day while preparations were made to get them up the tower with a crane.

Passersby stopped to greet Hennessey and take photos of the work being done.

Southern bells

The bells were first produced in the 1920s in a South Carolina foundry, but structural concerns led to the them being taken down from the church tower in the late '70s.

They were put into storage, and finally brought out last October.

They were then sent to that same South Carolina foundry to be restored.

'A hard slog'

Stan Christoph, the president of Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry said he feels satisfied to have reached this stage in the process.

"It's been a hard slog for two weeks to... get everything ready for the bells to go in."

The bells have sister chimes in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York as well as St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

"These are significant bells... They're beautiful bells," said Christoph.

Community support

Hennessey is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she has received locally.

She especially credits Charlottetown business person Kevin Murphy for his role in leading the fundraising initiative to turn her dream into reality.

"There's a lot of support in the community," she said.

Murphy has been leading the fundraising committee that has worked to complete the project.

They are still $50,000 - $60,000 shy of their goal to raise $425,000.

Murphy said he was motivated to help because of Hennessey herself and because it  "was the right thing to do."

He said he was pleased to see members of the community walking by the bells on Thursday, and talking about them.

Bells will ring again

Murphy said he's excited about what the bells bring back to the city. 

"The bells will be ringing and they'll be making a backdrop ... to this beautiful area of Charlottetown, which is the heart of the city."

Their official premiere is set for Canada Day.

The bells are stationary and will be played electronically, by keyboard.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Province gearing up to add bike lane to Hillsborough bridge

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Stratford and Charlottetown consolidate sewage treatment