The Executive Director of Community Living Sarnia-Lambton says he's had no direction from the province about the potential closure of Wawanosh Industry's funded workshop program. A spokesman with the Ministry of Community and Social Services told the Toronto Star the workshops, where people with disabilities earn about 60 cents an hour, will be eliminated "one individual at a time." John Hagens says people at Wawanosh with abilities making them employable by the private sector, have already found jobs. "They still like to come part time to Wawanosh, it's a social environment. It's where they have friendships, it's where they do other activities. A lot of other activities happen in Wawanosh besides work activation," says Hagens.
"It's going to be a transition, but we won't have many, or hardly any individuals who will be moving out of employment that's happened a long time ago." Hagens hopes the province provides funding for other programs for those currently using the funded workshops as day programs. There are currently 76 participants in Wawanosh's funded workshop sector.