Canton blends education, nature and small-town connection
Although Canton is not the largest town in St. Lawrence County, it earns its title as the county seat. Canton has the State University of New York Canton and St. Lawrence University, which draw students to the area every semester. While education jobs lead Canton’s economy, Canton isn’t all work and no play. Residents are also surrounded by the natural beauty of the Adirondack Mountains and the Grasse River. “It definitely has a small-town vibe, but there are still a lot of things to do,” says Erin Cuseo, program director for the nonprofit organization GardenShare, who frequently visits Canton. “Near Canton, there’s lots of outdoor recreation. There are state parks, which are protected and open to everyone. So, Canton has that small-town feel where everyone is involved, shopping local and putting up roadside stands, but also a lot of tourists utilize the location to see the Adirondacks.” Canton is more than just a college town, because while the schools are central to the town’s identity, residents can be close to their neighbors or spread out and surrounded by farmland.
Older homes in the village or among farmland
Canton has two major parts: The town and the village. There are homes with split-level, colonial and simple Victorian or Italianate designs in the village. The town, though, is full of farmland and ranch-style homes that are often separated by wide fields. Rensselaer Falls is a small village in the west part of town along the Oswegatchie River. Throughout Canton, there are homes from the 1800s to the 2010s. Because many of the properties are older, they feature detached garages or attached garages hidden behind the homes. Canton’s single-family home median sale price is around $180,000, much less than the national median. Although limited, some homes are close to the river, so homeowners may need to check local maps to see if they are in a flood zone. Residents also watch weather announcements in the winter, as St. Lawrence County can get sleet and snow that can cause power outages and icy roads.
Canton Central School District and two colleges
While the colleges may draw in new residents, the Canton Central School District has options for young students. The district earns a B rating from Niche. F.S. Banford Elementary School receives a B-minus and feeds into the B-rated J.M. McKenney Middle School. H.C. Williams Senior High School earns a B-plus. The St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services partners with the Cornell Cooperative Extension to run the Agricultural Studies Academy in Canton. High school seniors can apply to get hands-on experience with animals at the learning farm. Of the two colleges in Canton, the private St. Lawrence University is the largest. Niche gives the university a B and ranks it as one of the top 10 best liberal arts colleges in New York. SUNY Canton is a public college that earns a C-plus.
Farmers Markets in Village Park and exploring state parks
Canton Village Park is owned by the First Presbyterian Church of Canton, which is across the street from the green space, but anyone can walk in the shade of the trees. The park is usually busy on Tuesdays and Fridays for the GardenShare Farmers Market held from about mid-May through October. “We usually have 25 to 35 vendors, depending on the season and availability of the products,” Cuseo says. “There will be two food trucks, too. We’re a food-focused market, so our vendors sell locally grown fruit and vegetables. It’s a requirement that they grow their own products, and we do farm inspections,” Cuseo says GardenShare hosts kickoff events to mark the season changes and market days around Thanksgiving and Christmas, where there will be activities for kids and fresh produce in time for the holidays.
The Grasse River flows through the center of the village, and the Grasse River Heritage organization manages the Coakley Island and Dwight Church Parks — both have educational plaques that tell the story of the Native American tribes who lived in the area and the community’s history. State Route 68 is also the main path people take to drive 16 miles to Higley Flow State Park, which features hiking trails that wind through the forest to the Warm Brook Flow waters. The park is also open to camping, hunting and cross-country skiing. Canton is about an hour from Wellesley Island State Park and the St. Lawrence River, which sits along the New York and Canada border.
Walking to class or travelling to Potsdam or Ogdensburg
Streets in the village are usually sidewalk-free, but those closer to St. Lawrence University have sidewalks, so students might walk to class. Canton has primary care centers, but the Canton-Potsdam Hospital has the nearest emergency room, 11 miles away. St. Lawrence County Public Transit Buses offers weekday services that take passengers to hubs like Potsdam and Ogdensburg. Drivers can also go 18 miles down Route 68 to the Ogdensburg International Airport.
Shopping local down Main Street
Red brick storefronts with Italianate designs line Main Street, featuring small businesses like the Pear Tree gift shop and The Celtic Knot yarn store. People walk along the sidewalks before popping into Park Bros. Bagels & Coffee for breakfast or Sergi’s Ristorante Italiano & Pizzeria for lunch. Nature’s Storehouse sells organic produce, but some people drive down the road to Price Chopper or the Save A Lot for more options. Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, known as TAUNY, is an art exhibit, store and restaurant. A SUNY Canton professor founded the organization to highlight local traditions and culture that represent the North Country of New York.
