St. Joseph Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

, near the mouth of the St. Marys River

St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario)

The St. Marys River , sometimes written as the St. Mary's River, drains Lake Superior, starting at the end of Whitefish Bay and flowing 74.5 miles southeast into Lake Huron, with a fall of ....

 which connects Lake Huron with Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

. It is the second largest island in Lake Huron (after Manitoulin Island

Manitoulin Island

Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...

) and the third largest in the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

 overall, trailing Manitoulin and Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

's Isle Royale

Isle Royale

Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes, located in the northwest of Lake Superior, and part of the state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale National Park....

.

St. Joseph Island has a year-round population of around 2000, and is connected to the mainland by the Bernt Gilbertson

Bernt Gilbertson

Bernt Nicole Gilbertson was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Algoma in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Progressive Conservatives.A resident of St...

 Bridge spanning the North Channel

North Channel (Ontario)

The North Channel is the body of water along the north shore of Lake Huron, in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is bordered on the east by Georgian Bay, on the west by the St. Marys River, to the north by the eastern Algoma District and to the south by the islands of Manitoulin, Cockburn,...

 of Lake Huron along Highway 548. There is another segment of Highway 548 that circles the island. The largest towns on the island are Hilton Beach

Hilton Beach, Ontario

Hilton Beach is a village located in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the northeastern shore of St. Joseph Island in the North Channel of Lake Huron, approximately 60 kilometres from Sault Ste. Marie...

 and Richards Landing. Tourism is the primary source of income, while logging, maple syrup, and agriculture are of lesser importance. The island is a popular tourist destination, especially for residents from nearby Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...

.

History

St. Joseph Island's location at this vital gateway to Lake Superior made it important for trade with First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 peoples and for defence. After Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...

 was handed over to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 chose to fortify equally strategic St. Joseph island in 1796. The British troops based at Fort St. Joseph

Fort St. Joseph (Ontario)

Fort St. Joseph is a former British outpost on the southernmost point of St. Joseph Island in Ontario, Canada, on Lake Huron. Situated on approximately 325 hectares along the St. Mary's River, Fort St. Joseph was the staging ground for the initial attack in the War of 1812...

 captured the American Fort Mackinac

Fort Mackinac

Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island...

 during the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

. After the war ended the fort was abandoned, but the site and remaining structures are now a National Historic Site, managed by Parks Canada

Parks Canada

Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...

.

Municipalities on St. Joseph Island

• Township of Hilton
  Hilton, Ontario
  Hilton is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, comprising the southeast quadrant of St. Joseph Island in the Algoma District. It surrounds, but does not include, the independent village of Hilton Beach....
  
  
• Township of Jocelyn
  Jocelyn, Ontario
  Jocelyn is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on St. Joseph Island in the Algoma District. The township had a population of 277 in the Canada 2006 Census.The current reeve of the township is Mark Henderson....
  
  
• Township of St. Joseph
  St. Joseph, Ontario
  St. Joseph is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, the largest of four municipalities on St. Joseph Island. Its population presently stands at 1,129 .The mayor of the township is Jody Wildman.-Communities:...
  
  
• Village of Hilton Beach
  Hilton Beach, Ontario
  Hilton Beach is a village located in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the northeastern shore of St. Joseph Island in the North Channel of Lake Huron, approximately 60 kilometres from Sault Ste. Marie...