Lessard Lake Campground

Back to Northwest Quadrant – YEG-Ville.

While this campground would bustle in the summer, it is quiet and peaceful in the winter. There are fire pits, tables, a playground and pit toilets. Next to the campground is the Lessard Lake Outdoor Education Centre. Run by the county, this facility can be rented year round [1].

The lake is shallow (6M at the center) and without a significant inlet or outlet. As a result, it should freeze well in the winter. In fact the fishery has experienced winter-kill in the early 1970’s [3].

The Fast Facts

The lake is named for Edmond Lessard (Probably) [4], who was a prominent Franco-Alberta businessman and politician. Born in Quebec, he headed west for the Klondike in 1898 but stayed in Edmonton until his death in 1931 [3]. Lessard owned a number of properties in the area. The name was was recorded in the 1903 field notes of the Dominion Land Survey and began appearing on Department of the Interior maps by 1917 [5].

Snow covered park bench looking out onto Lessard Lake
Lonely look out on Lessard Lake
  • Name/Owner: Lessard Lake Campground / Lac St. Anne County.
  • Is it Worth It and Why Go Here?: [PENDING]
  • Map Reference, Location and WGU:
    • Central Alberta Backroads Map Book, p. Wabamun Lake (p. 44), Cell B2.
    • 53′ 47″ -114′ 38″; drive towards White Court on Highway 43, turn South on Range Road 51 and then West on Township Road 554.
    • Wayne Gretzky Driving Time & Distance: 1 hour(s) 7 Min(s) & 100 Kilometers
  • Difficulty Level & Safety: Low Beginner. There are very few trails in the campground proper. Just beside it and to the south is county land. There is some ATV damage but most of the trails are walkable. If you go out onto the lake, take appropriate ice safety precautions.
  • Links: See Notes and References.
  • The Drive Out:[PENDING]
  • The Other Shoe: Fat biking, walking.
  • Kid Rating: [PENDING]
  • Frank’s Trip Notes
    • First done: 2020-12-16. A beautiful sunny and quiet day.

Notes and Reference

  1. LSAC. “Lessard Lake Outdoor Education Centre.” Accessed December 18, 2020. https://lsac.ca/index.php/residents/parks-recreation/campgrounds/lessard-lake-outdoor-education-centre.
  2. “Lessard Lake.” Accessed December 18, 2020. http://albertalakes.ualberta.ca/?page=lake&lake=34&region=1.
  3. “Biography – LESSARD, PROSPER-EDMOND (Baptized James-Alexander-Prosper-Edward) – Volume XVI (1931-1940) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography.” Accessed Dec 18, 2020. http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/lessard_prosper_edmond_16E.html.
  4. Waugh, Neil. “Senator Prosper’s Joli Lac.” Edmonton Sun, July 12, 2019, sec. NEIL WAUGH OUTDOORS: https://edmontonsun.com/travel/local-travel/neil-waugh-outdoors-senator-prospers-joli-lac.
  5. Kelland, Roland. “Potter Asks – Origin of Alberta Place Names West of Edmonton and North of Hwy 16,” December 21, 2020.

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