Bezanson, Alberta

Born near Halifax, Nova Scotia 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, Smoky, and Simonette rivers in 1908 and started a settlement there.

Bezanson was established in 1910, when it was expected that the Edmonton, Dunvegan & British Columbia Railway would pass through the region. The settlement grew until 1914,{{Cite web|url=http://www.discoverthepeacecountry.com/htmlpages/bezanson.html|title=Bezason|author=Discover the Peace Country|access-date=2008-02-04}} 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 {{convert|6|mi|km}} to the southeast.

A ferry was opened in 1915 across the Smoky River. The first bridge over the river was built in 1949, near where 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.

{{stack|{{Historical populations

| title = Population history
of Bezanson

| type = Canada

| align = left

| width =

| shading =

| percentages =

| state =

| footnote =

| source = Statistics Canada
{{1951CDNcuipr}}{{1956CDNcuipr}}{{1961CDNcuipr}}{{1966CDNcuipr}}{{1971CDNcuipr}}{{1976CDNcuipr}}{{1981CDNcuipr}}{{1986CDNcuipr}}{{1991CDNcuipr}}{{1996CDNcdplr}}{{cite web | url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/census01/products/standard/popdwell/Table-CSD-D.cfm?PR=48 | title=Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Alberta) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=August 15, 2012 | accessdate=September 19, 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-550/Index.cfm?TPL=P1C&Page=RETR&LANG=Eng&T=1302&SR=1&S=1&O=A&RPP=9999&PR=48&CMA=0 | title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Alberta) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=July 20, 2021 | accessdate=September 19, 2024}}{{cite web | url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table-Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=1302&PR=48&S=51&O=A&RPP=25 | title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 8, 2012 | access-date=September 19, 2024}}

|1951|65

|1956|73

|1961|68

|1966|67

|1971|54

|1976|65

|1981|87

|1986|62

|1991|68

|1991{{abbr|A|adjusted}}|70

|1996|72

|2001|81

|2006|137

|2011|121

|2016|107

|2021|133

}}}}

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bezanson had a population of 133 living in 58 of its 63 total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:133-107}}|107|1}} from its 2016 population of 107. With a land area of {{cvt|1.11|km2}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|133|1.11|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=9810001201 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=February 10, 2022}}

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bezanson had a population of 107 living in 50 of its 55 total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:107-121}}|121|1}} from its 2011 population of 121. With a land area of {{convert|1.11|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|107|1.11|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2016.{{cite web | url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=1301&SR=1&S=45&O=A&RPP=9999&PR=48&CMA=0#tPopDwell | title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 8, 2017 | access-date=February 13, 2017}}

• Besançon, a city in France
• Kleskunsaurus
• List of communities in Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.countygp.ab.ca/EN/main/community/parks-photos/old-bezanson-townsite.html Old Bezanson Townsite (County of Grande Prairie No. 1)]
• [https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/northwest/kleskun-hill-na/ Kleskun Hill Natural Area]

{{Alberta|hamlets=yes}}

{{Alberta Regions Upper Peace}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:County of Grande Prairie No. 1

Category:Designated places in Alberta

Category:Hamlets in Alberta