Bezanson is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in northern Alberta

Northern Alberta

Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Its primary industry is oil and gas, with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca Oil Sands and Wabasca Area in the east of the region...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 within the County of Grande Prairie No. 1

Grande Prairie County No. 1, Alberta

The County of Grande Prairie No. 1 is a municipal district in northwestern Alberta, Canada in Census Division No. 19.It is bounded on the south by the Wapiti River, on the east by the Smoky River and on the west by the province of British Columbia....

. It is located approximately 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) east of Grande Prairie

Grande Prairie, Alberta

Grande Prairie is a city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is located on the southern edge of the Peace River Country . The city is surrounded by the County of Grande Prairie No...

 on Highway 43, west of the Smoky River

Smoky River

Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians....

.

History

Born near Halifax, Nova Scotia

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

 September 1, 1878, A. M. Bezanson (Ancel Maynard) had come to the Peace River Country in 1906. On returning to Edmonton he published a pamphlet, 'The Peace River Trail', in May 1907 in an effort to increase interest in the area. He settled near the junction of the Wapiti

Wapiti River

Wapiti River is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin.Wapiti is named after the Cree word for elk .-Course:...

 and Smoky

Smoky River

Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians....

 rivers in 1908 and started a settlement there.
Bezanson was established in 1910, when it was expected that the Grande Prairie-Grande Cache Railway would pass through the region. The settlement grew until 1914, when it was found that the railway would pass to the north through Rycroft

Rycroft, Alberta

Rycroft is a village in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located 68 km north of the city of Grande Prairie and 7 km east of Spirit River. Dunvegan Provincial Park is located 20 km north of the community.-Demographics:...

. The townsite was moved to be near the highway. A campsite and historical markers are at the original townsite 6 miles (9.7 km) to the southeast.

A ferry was opened in 1915 across the Smoky River

Smoky River

Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians....

. The first bridge over the river was built in 1949, when the highway from Grande Prairie to Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

 passed through the settlement. It was detoured in 2001, with the twinning of Highway 43 and the opening of the new Smoky River bridge.

Geography

The nearby Kleskun Hills (55.26 -118.51) are the northernmost badlands in Canada and contain one of the few unbroken areas of the original prairie.

Demographics

The population of Bezanson according to the County of Grande Prairie No. 1's 2006 municipal census is 155.

As of 2006, Bezanson had a total population of 137 living in 60 dwellings. With a land area of 1.17 km² (0.451739525553266 sq mi), it has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 117.2 /km2.

Industry Canada shows that Bezanson's greater rural area had a total population of 197 living in 85 dwellings in 2001. With a land area of 41.4 km² (16 sq mi), its greater rural area has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 4.8 /km2.

See also

• Besançon
  Besançon
  Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
  
  , a city in France
• List of communities in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta

External links

• Article about A. M. Bezanson