North Country Living
Our North Country is an area rich in natural beauty, culture, and resources. From the Adirondack Mountains to the St. Lawrence River and from Lake Champlain to Lake Ontario we live surrounded by forest, farm lands, and wildlife. Our culture is rich in traditions of resilience from our heritage of self-reliance during challenging winters. New cultures abound by being in close proximity to four institutions of higher learning. Our beloved North Country Public Radio station brings the whole world to our doorstep. We are a proud people but not clannish. We are welcoming and truly care about each other.
Explore some of our favorite places on the map
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton is located in the Village of Canton, but serves a much larger region of New York’s North Country. Situated between the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and the St. Lawrence River about 20 miles from the border with our cherished neighbor Canada, the village and its surrounding community are exceptionally beautiful and known for the friendly communities and long history of social justice activism.
Home of St. Lawrence University and State University of New York (SUNY) Canton, the Village population was 6,314 when the 2010 Census was taken, including students. This number reduces considerably when the universities are not in session. The Village of Potsdam (pop. 10,000), just ten miles northeast and where many of our members and friends reside, is home to the campuses of Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam, with its renowned Crane School of Music and strong arts programs. While the Canton-Potsdam area is rural and small in population, cultural and educational opportunities abound, as do opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation.
Four rivers, the Grasse, Oswegatchie, Raquette and St. Regis, flow north from the Adirondacks within 15 miles of Canton, and, along with dozens of ponds and lakes, supply an abundance of water for water sports of all varieties. Nearby St. Lawrence River and Black Lake present fishing experiences that are nationally recognized. The settlement pattern of St. Lawrence County was determined by the presence of flowing water and waterfalls that were dammed to generate power for mills in the pre-petroleum era. A recent effort by the Grasse River Heritage organization in Canton has created a waterfront park including historic interpretation.
Historically, the area’s industries were lumbering, cheesemaking, and dairy farming; the major employers today are the universities, county government (Canton Village is the St. Lawrence County seat), hospitals, schools, and a few small industries. As the St. Lawrence County seat, Canton is host to the Dairy Princess Parade, an event held in early June, used to highlight the importance of the region’s dairy industry.
Although St. Lawrence County is not as racially diverse as more urban areas, we do have a great deal of economic and class diversity that brings challenging social justice issues to our church and community. People of color constitute a substantial percentage of the local college populations.
Many of us came to the North Country for college or jobs or the chance to live more sustainably, but stayed because we fell in love with this community and with this church.
