Industry, community, family

BELLE WEST is a charming community with deep roots and a rich tapestry of people and past. The ever-growing community has become a well-known place along the West Bank where it can be found. The village resembles a quaint suburban neighbourhood with its quiet streets and walkways; Belle West exudes a peaceful, cozy atmosphere. Today, the village’s population is estimated to be in the thousands. Although located several miles along the West Bank of the Demerara River, Belle West has seen tremendous changes in recent years.

With its biggest population hike, overcrowding has become a concern in the village, leading to the development of Belle West Phase 2, the most recent addition to the already sizable neighbourhood. But Belle West is more than a housing scheme; it is home to peaceful and creative people. With streets lined with as many business endeavours as historical significance, Belle West stands out amongst its counterparts as a unique and blossoming community.

Regarding location, Belle West is found deep within Canal No. 2 polder. Equally famous villages like Endeavour are neighbours to Belle West, and the trio of communities share a similar history; today they share many of the people and economic endeavours. Historically, Belle West was known to be a community predominantly made up of Indo-Guyanese. This is a factor that seems to be changing. Today, Belle West is a melting pot mirroring the multicultural nature of our country.

The village’s past is something they hold in great regard. Today, most of the community’s people venture beyond the bounds of the community for work. With a plethora of small businesses, the village is home to many entrepreneurs and professionals. More than 30 years ago, however, Belle West was the industrial hub of the West Bank.

The history behind Clay Brick Road
Perhaps the most popular street in Belle West is the famous Clay Brick Road. A single road in the community, remnants of its history, lay within the very ground as the street is lined with red clay bricks. The name and history are derived from the clay brick factory once housed in the housing scheme. Among the largest industrial operations of its time, many people sought work at the factory. The Belle West factory was an economic stronghold of the community, and people were venturing from far and wide in search of work among the clay bricks. Many of these people never left Belle West but rather settled in the foundation created by the factory and the community.

On the other hand, Godfrey Bess is a son of the Belle West soil. Born and raised in the community, he said the factory’s legacy is a part of Belle West’s history that will remain. “Belle West is a village that really began with the factory. The community was developed after the factory. There were a lot of jobs created.”

Godfrey and his family lived just off the factory. In the factory’s days of glory, the vast industrial clay mining and brick production were sights to behold, and it was seen as one of the biggest mining companies in the region. The far end of the West Bank has clay in abundance. The Belle West factory and people mined this clay in great quantities for many years, and its impact can still be seen today. “The factory has created a pond that is used as the Blue Water Resort that has been around for 12 years,” he said. Godfrey and his family are proprietors of the famed Blue Water Resort of the West Bank. Although not functioning currently, Godfrey believes that with some development and a facelift, the resort could return to its former glory.

A contractor by trade, Godfrey still has a profound love for his community. His forebears were said to be the first settlers in the village, long before the factory when Belle West was merely grasslands flourishing on clay lands. “Growing up in this area, it was very bushy at that time. My grandmother had twenty-one children. So you would find that during the August holiday, over 30 to 50 grandchildren would meet here. Because my mother and others had moved to other communities, time after time, we could come back and gather here,” he said.

To Godfrey and his family, the history of Belle West and the surrounding area are family history. When a family puts down roots so strong in a community and sees it grow with their lineage, the village is bound to become a part of them. Today, Godfrey is on a new mission. He aims to restore the resort. He is sure that with a little time and effort, Belle West’s beauty could be displayed to the rest of Guyana for what it truly is: a beautiful and warm community, home to a rich history and amazing people.