St. Joseph Island is the most western of the Manitoulin chain of islands and is situated in the North Channel between Lake Huron & Lake Superior about 30 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on Hwy #17. About 28 miles long and 15 miles wide, the 90,000 acre Island is the second largest fresh water island in the world. It is linked to the mainland by a toll free bridge for automobile traffic but can also be accessed by snowmachine in the winter or boats can dock at the village marinas or other facilities in the summer.

St. Joseph Island is noted for its peaceful beauty, its friendly inhabitants and its recreational activities and community events. It is surrounded by peaceful bays and rocky inlets and the rolling hills, mixed forests, marshes and meadows lend themselves to scenic drives, bike tours or leisurely walks.There are just under 2,000 year round residents on the Island settled in the two villages of Richards Landing and Hilton Beach or in the surrounding countryside. They help to provide many services including grocery , liquor and gift stores, post offices and a bank, a hospital, pharmacy and doctors' offices, restaurants, bakery and an ice cream shop, beauty salons and real estate agents, building supplies and contractors, churches, libraries and artisans' studios. The main industries are tourism, logging and agriculture with St. Joe Island sweet corn in high demand in the summer and award
winning maple syrup sought after in the spring.

The Island offers recreational activities in all seasons but summer is the busiest. The population swells as cottagers come back for another season and vacationers return for another Island holiday. With numerous beaches and docking facilities, water sports are very popular as is fishing with a good variety of fish available from pike and trout to pickerel and salmon. The winter brings skating, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and snowmachining on the over 100 miles of groomed trails right
on the Island as well as the tree line access to the mainland and the OFSC trails.

As in most northern communities there are local activities in all seasons from small village teas to Island-wide attractions. Flurryfest in the winter, the Maple Syrup Festival in the spring, Community Nights in the summer and the Jocelyn Harvest Festival in the fall are some of the major events but there are also quilt shows, open air markets, garden parties, art shows, studio tours, ploughing matches and a fishing derby. If you're interested in early Island life there's the Fort St. Joseph
National Historic Site as well as the St. Joseph Island Museum Village with six vintage buildings and over 5000 artifacts.

Whatever you plan to do while on beautiful St. Joseph Island, Puddingstone Place is the perfect spot to relax in. Located on the water, right in the village of Richards Landing it's close to most events and services. The quaintly decorated rooms of the Inn provide a quiet retreat while the cottages and private island give your family a unique holiday experience.

Call toll Free 1-877-783-3466

For the official Home Page of St. Joseph Island click here

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