Bezanson, Alberta
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Bezanson is a unincorporated settlement in northern Alberta, Canada.
It is located in Grande Prairie County, near the crossing of Smoky River by Highway 43. Administration lies with the Grande Prairie County.[1]
The hamlet has a population of 85.[2]
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[edit] History
Born near Halifax, Nova Scotia September 1st, 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 the junction of the Wapiti and Smoky 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,[2] when it was found that the railway would pass to the north through Rycroft. The townsite was moved to be near the highway. A campsite and historical markers are at the original townsite 6 miles to the southeast.
A ferry was opened in 1915 across the Smoky River. The first bridge over the river was built in 1949, when the highway from Grande Prairie to Edmonton passed through the settlement. It was detoured in 2001, with the twinning of Highway 43 and the opening of the new Smoky River bridge.
The nearby Kleskun Hills are the northernmost badlands in Canada and contain one of the few unbroken areas of the original prairie.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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Sexsmith | Wanham Teepee Creek |
Falher |
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| Grande Prairie |  |
Debolt Crooked Creek |
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 Bezanson  |
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| Grande Cache | Valleyview |
[edit] External Links
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