Jocelyn, Ontario

Jocelyn
Township (single-tier)
Township of Jocelyn
Municipal building
Jocelyn
Coordinates: 46°11′N83°58′W / 46.183°N 83.967°W / 46.183; -83.967
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Algoma
Settled	1830s
Incorporated	1886
Government
• Type	Township
• Reeve	Cori Murdock
• Governing Body	Jocelyn Township Council
•  MP	Terry Sheehan (Liberal)
•  MPP	Bill Rosenberg (PC)
Area [1]
• Total	130.43 km2 (50.36 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [1]
• Total	314
• Density	2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code	P0R 1G0
Area codes	705, 249
Website	jocelyn.ca

Jocelyn is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on St. Joseph Island in the Algoma District. Jocelyn is home to Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site.

The primary community in the township is Kentvale, located on the boundary with the Township of St. Joseph. Other rural communities include Beech Beach ( 46°06′53″N86°53′34″W / 46.11472°N 86.89278°W / 46.11472; -86.89278 ), ^[2] Carterton ( 46°11′53″N83°57′20″W / 46.19806°N 83.95556°W / 46.19806; -83.95556 ), ^[3] Outlook ( 46°10′06″N83°59′25″W / 46.16833°N 83.99028°W / 46.16833; -83.99028 ), ^[4] and Tenby Bay ( 46°07′51″N83°55′33″W / 46.13083°N 83.92583°W / 46.13083; -83.92583 ). ^[5]

History

Historic school building

In 1792, the North West Company established a trading post on what is known today as Rains Point. In 1796, Fort St. Joseph was built just to the west. Two years later, the Chippewa sell St. Joseph Island to the English. ^[6]

Settlement of the township began in 1838 when Major William Kingdom Rains relocated from Milford Haven in neighbouring Hilton Township to a point of land which he named Hentlan (today Rains Point). ^[7]

In 1881, an Anglican Church was built in Jocelyn, and on July 1 of that same year, the Jocely Post Office opened. In 1886, Joceylyn Township was incorporated with Jesse G. Reesor as first reeve. ^[6]

The Kentvale general store (actually located in the Township of St. Joseph) was opened in 1888 by Emily M. Kent and Frederick B. Kent. The original operation consisted of a grist and saw mill operated by Frederick and a store that Emily ran, operating under the name Kentvale General Merchants. A community outdoor hockey rink on the property provided recreation for this farming community for many years. It was operated by the Kent family and volunteers from the community.

In September 2024, the Ontario Ombudsman released a report on Jocelyn Township council, finding that certain closed meetings did not comply with the Municipal Act’s open meeting requirements and recommending improved transparency and procedural adherence. ^[8] In 2023 and 2024, the township experienced significant political turmoil, including the resignation of two councillors and senior staff amid allegations of improper governance and hiring practices. ^[9] An integrity commissioner’s investigation later concluded that Reeve Mark Henderson breached the township’s code of conduct by acting disrespectfully toward the public and failing to follow hiring policies. ^[10]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Jocelyn had a population of 314 living in 175 of its 360 total private dwellings, a change of 0.3% from its 2016 population of 313. With a land area of 130.43 km² (50.36 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.4/km² (6.2/sq mi) in 2021. ^[1]

Canada census – Jocelyn community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	314 (+0.3% from 2016)	313 (32.1% from 2011)	237 (-14.4% from 2006)
Land area	130.43 km2 (50.36 sq mi)	131.45 km2 (50.75 sq mi)	131.37 km2 (50.72 sq mi)
Population density	2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi)	2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi)	1.8/km2 (4.7/sq mi)
Median age	62.0 (M: 62.0, F: 62.0)	60.8 (M: 61.2, F: 60.5)
Private dwellings	360 (total)  175 (occupied)	340 (total)	309 (total)
Median household income	$66,000	$62,272

References: 2021 ^[11] 2016 ^[12] 2011 ^[13]

Historical census populations – Jocelyn, Ontario
Year Pop. ±% 1881 413 —     1891 369 −10.7% 1901 452 +22.5% 1911 337 −25.4% 1921 344 +2.1% 1931 226 −34.3% 1941 196 −13.3% 1951 176 −10.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1956 144 −18.2% 1961 137 −4.9% 1966 98 −28.5% 1971 104 +6.1% 1976 119 +14.4% 1981 144 +21.0% 1986 170 +18.1% 1991 238 +40.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 294 +23.5% 2001 298 +1.4% 2006 277 −7.0% 2011 237 −14.4% 2016 313 +32.1% 2021 314 +0.3%
Source: Statistics Canada [1] [14] [15]

See also

• List of francophone communities in Ontario
• List of townships in Ontario

References

1. "Jocelyn, Ontario (Code 3557001) Census Profile". 2021 census . Government of Canada - Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2025-12-19.
2. "Beech Beach". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 19 December 2025.
3. "Carterton". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 19 December 2025.
4. "Outlook". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 19 December 2025.
5. "Tenby Bay". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 19 December 2025.
6. "St Joseph Island Timeline". sites.rootsweb.com. St. Joseph Island Historical Society. 21 April 1998. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
7. Bayliss, Joseph & Estelle (1938). Historic St. Joseph Island. Cedar Rapids, IA: Torch Press. pp. 96–97.
8. Paul Dubé (6 September 2024). "Township of Jocelyn - September 6, 2024". www.ombudsman.on.ca. Ombudsman Ontario. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
9. Hopkin, James (26 July 2023). "Councillors quit amid political turmoil on St. Joseph Island". SooToday.com. Village Media . Retrieved 26 November 2025.
10. Hopkin, James (2 April 2024). "Report slams township reeve on St. Joseph Island for 'belligerent' behaviour". SooToday.com. Village Media . Retrieved 26 November 2025.
11. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
12. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
13. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
14. Eighth Census of Canada 1941 - Volume II - Population by Local Subdivisions (Report). Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1944. CS98-1941-2.
15. "1971 Census of Canada - Population Census Subdivisions (Historical)". Catalogue 92-702 Vol I, part 1 (Bulletin 1.1-2). Statistics Canada. July 1973.

External links

• Official website