The County of Renfrew is seeing a decrease in Ontario Works cases. Over the first nine months of 2019 there was a 10% drop in total caseload when compared to the same time frame in 2018. Director of Social Services for the County of Renfrew, Laura Lepine, says new job opportunities in the area including at the cannabis production facility in Whitewater Region and Roseburg Forest Products have helped with employment.

The Director of Social Services adds a 10% caseload reduction is significant and having people work and contribute locally benefits everyone.

Lepine says many offices across the province are seeing slight decreases in Ontario Works caseloads which could be the sign of a good economy. She adds previously many people were leaving the area to find jobs to sustain a household or commuting to Ottawa for work. The number of individuals on Ontario Works in Renfrew County as of September had dropped from 1,306 last year to 1,175 at the same time this year.