Ontario’s legislative assembly unanimously passed Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP Billy Denault’s recent motion to designate the third week in September as Rural Ontario Week.
Denault said rural Ontario drives key sectors in the province like manufacturing, natural resources, forestry, tourism and agriculture, and contributed $116.5 billion to Ontario’s GDP in 2024.
MPP Denault’s office has also announced that Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke will be receiving more than $460,000 from the province to support public transit service.
The funding is through the 2025-26 gas tax program and can be used for initiatives like expanding service hours, increasing routes, purchasing new vehicles and improving accessibility.
Arnprior, Pembroke, Petawawa and Renfrew are all set to receive a portion of the funding.
