Canton Paper Mill Shutdown HUGE Effects On Western North Carolina Railroading!

Canton Paper Mill Closing
A leaked, undated internal memo from Evergreen Packaging’s Canton General Manager John McCarthy says that the mill will idle one of its paper-making machines, citing reduced demand for its particular product [Canton News]
Located just west of Asheville, North Carolina, and within the headwaters of the Pigeon River, is the small town of Canton, home to the Evergreen Packaging mill, an employee-owned facility. Opened in 1908 as the Champion Fibre Company, the pulp and paper mill has played a significant role in the environmental and social history in this part of the Southern Appalachians. On the one hand, the mill has been an economic engine for Canton for more than a century. However, it has also been contributing to the contamination of the westward flowing Pigeon River and sending its sulfur-rich odor to its downwind neighbors since it began operating. Over the course of its lifetime, no matter who has owned it, the mill has had a major impact on area natural resources through activities including timber harvesting, paper production, and product conversion. [Forest Historical Society]
In early March, Evergreen Packaging announced that they would be closing the Canton mill in early summer of 2023, as a result of the mill's closure, Norfolk Southern Railway's famous loops over the Old Fort mountain are in great threat of abandonment in the near future including the west end of the Asheville District (S-Line) forever. This Video showcases the trickle-down effects of this closure to the western region of North Carolina railroads and families.

[@bradsclassictrucks2007]

Plant workers, truck drivers, railroad employees, several wood chip mills, maintenance workers, as well as the small businesses in town, and the list of people affected goes on and on, Thank you Nathan for another awesome informative video!

[@blueridgerails]

It sure will, Thanks for watching!

[@hnf1930]

Very good job with the video!!

[@blueridgerails]

Thank you, Kyle!!

[@michaelpace64]

This is what happens when executives steal the money

[@cathyoldham7596]

I am so very sorry to learn of this devastating loss to your area. The affected families will be in my prayers.

[@blueridgerails]

Thank you so much. They are definitely in my prayers also.

[@user-ij1yu1ke3b]

🙏

[@markkover8040]

Damn. I remember seeing this happen with the lumber mills in Washington state, North Idaho and Western Montana back in the early 1980s. The shutdowns devastated many small logging towns, some turned into ghost towns. Rails going to those communities were taken up and the track beds became highways. After seeing it happen to other mills, I figured it was only a matter of time before the saw/plywood mill I worked at would be shutdown. So I stayed another year saving as much money as I could then went to college with assistance from the Idaho Army National Guard. The interesting thing is, that mill is still operating! It is served by a short line that was created after the Milwaukee Road killed off its Western expansion. It is still so difficult to hear about. My prayers and best wishes to all those affected.

[@blueridgerails]

Glad the mill is still in operation, it's always nice for places to stay open especially when they are served by a shortline railroad!

[@eddie_wolf_]

Prayers for all the folks who depend on the mill. 🙏♥️

[@blueridgerails]

We are too. They are set to close the 24th

[@paulbergen9114]

Excellent drone coverage and well narrated. It's the same story at Wisconsin Rapids where the big Consolidated papers Mill has been closed for three years and the longer it sits the last chance it has of reopening. It will be hard to convert is it has equipment going back to 1914 and produced printing paper for magazines and catalogs which is not in demand. It had been served by three railroads Each of which probably handled 30 to 50 cars a day. Excellent summary of unfortunately a sad situation

[@blueridgerails]

Thank you for watching! It is definitely sad seeing these classic mills close down. The effect on the town and families is unimaginable...

[@AppalachianRailroader_]

How has this affected the BRS? Almost went to work for them after Erwin closed.

[@blueridgerails]

They've shipped all the 6 axle power out now. They've suffered pretty bad, I think they dont run on weekends anymore aswell.

[@AppalachianRailroader_]

@@blueridgerails that sucks! Losing skyland and now this. Cant be much industry left on that sub. Going to wind up like the ETWNC working 2-3 days a week. Ugh

[@user-ij1yu1ke3b]

😢

[@Toxic4abel]

as a person in canton, I can say confidently. Its sad

[@blueridgerails]

It definitely is...

[@cdjames4246]

Excellent video

[@blueridgerails]

Thank you!

[@michaelscott1969]

This is the best video I have seen of our mill . It’s going to be weird not going to work here everyday.

[@blueridgerails]

Thank you so much! We are working on a full documentary if you would be willing to do a face to face interview!

[@michaelscott1969]

@@blueridgerails I’ve been there about 6 months but I would be willing too .

[@blueridgerails]

@@michaelscott1969 I will keep in touch with you! We should be up next saturday.

[@michaelscott1969]

It’s been a good place to work . I wish I had went to work here years ago . Going to work here felt like you were apart of something more . When it’s gone canton will feel and sound so weird without out the mill . Plus it provided so much work for the railroad .

[@blueridgerails]

@Michael Scott I've heard good things about the mill! Glad to hear you like it, it's very sad what's going on.

[@waynejenkins8242]

Someone mentioned that railroading in Asheville is almost dead. I'm curious as to why so many boxcars were in Canton AND Waynesville when my brother and I drove down there after the train show @ ETSU two weeks ago. Especially notable was the FCRR (Southeastern Mexican Railroad) boxcar that came in while the mill whistle was making its 5-minute farewell (note the regular-height 50' box with "Unir Servir" on it near the front of the train, longtime fans recognize it as being an former NdeM boxcar. Wonder why that thing came up to Canton? I doubt it was loaded. What was loaded on it and where was it going? FCRR is not one of Watco's companies so that theory gets shot down quickly. Once the boxcars and everything gets out of Evergreen it will be pretty dead. Wonder what the plans for NS through service Knoxville-Linwood are? It hasn't been daily, has it?

[@blueridgerails]

They are still shipping cars out of the plants as of now, and there has been plans in the works for through trains to return.

[@32_slayss]

I'm so sad about this, and for all the people who went through it and for all the mill workers who have lost their jobs. #SaveTheCantonMill #MilltownStrong

[@CindyHarris-rd4gb]

I hope the owners of Canton papermill get exactly what they deserve!!! They killed a part of our history and put thousands of people across our state out of work. I hope the devil gets the last laugh at their expense!!!

[@blueridgerails]

Yes, they definitely hurt Canton. Once again, we have been praying for every one of the families impacted.

[@tomroise9426]

Y’all need to convert the mill. Figure out away to save her for the good of the area and this country…

[@these_handles_are_stupid]

Sad to see, railroading in WNC was already endangered as is. If the Blue Ridge Southern kicks the bucket then essentially the only trains WNC will get will be trains passing through it. The decline of our country's industry, customers not using their spurs - only keeping them as a bargaining chip for trucking, and class I railroad barons axing lines because they're not profitable enough has killed the beating hearts of a lot of our smaller communities.

[@ChainsawNW1218]

It's ashame a good business goes awry and now the community and Railroads are going to feel the effects from it,I remember riding the Great Smoky Mountain Railway 🛤 years ago along the scenic Nantahala River on a SRR 2-8-0!🛤🚂

[@blueridgerails]

It certainly is. I love the GSMR, they have a great ride!