Bessborough / Willowbrook
These two areas are located northwest of Dawson Creek lying on the east side of the Kiskatinaw River. Bessborough is located approximately 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Dawson Creek, or west off of Highway No. 97N along the 212 Road (Bessborough Rd). Willowbrook is located approximately 3 miles northwest of the Bessborough community hall. The north arm of Dawson Creek and a rail line traverses the area north of Highway No. 97S. The area is predominately a farming area of forage, cattle and sheep operations with grain becoming more prevalent. The entire area is within the Agricultural Land Reserve but there are some smaller residential parcels along Bessborough Road.
Bessborough was originally named Willowbrook after the local school which was built near Willow trees along a brook in 1931. The post office would not accept this name because it duplicated another town in Saskatchewan. While the school remained Willowbrook, the community changed its name to Bessborough after the current Governor General of Canada Sir Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough, or more commonly known as Lord Bessborough. The first store in Bessborough opened in 1932 and Bessborough Memorial Hall opened in 1945. The store is no longer operating and the Willowbrook School house has since been re-located and converted into a farm building. Together the communities have a population of about 250 people.
Community Facilities
| Facility | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SP Regional Land Fill | NW ¼ Sec. 5-79-16, along 237 Road, 10 km west of Hwy 97 N | Outside plan area |
| Bessborough Hall | 6888 – 243 Road, SW ¼ 2-79-17 | |
| Telus station | 4929 – 212 Road, NW ¼ 34-78-17 | 1 acre site |
| Gravesite |
Visitor Comments
There will be reunion for those attending the student dormitories in Fort.St.John. The reunion will be held on the August long weekend in 2012.
Please contact Regina Hensel on facebook for information, or by email
henselregina@live.com or call 778-866-1736
We would appreciate if you could pass this message on to your members as we have lost touch with a lot of people, and really would love to get everyone together again for a fun-filled weekend.
Thank-you so much.