Even before Hurricane Helene, the town of Canton in Haywood County was trying to figure out how to reimagine its future.
In 2023, the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill closed, leaving more than a thousand people without jobs and leaving the town without the industry that had sustained it for over a century.
Now, Canton is working to find a way forward that honors its history while also navigating the new challenges brought on by the storm…