Here's how Ontario's new minimum wage compares to every other province and territory
The Ontario government has announced that it will increase its provincial minimum wage to $15 per hour next year.
Minimum wage is the least amount of money an employer must pay an employee for each hour of work.
Premier Doug Ford made the official announcement Tuesday morning in Milton alongside Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton and Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy.
As of Oct. 1, the minimum wage is $14.35 per hour in Ontario. The increase to $15 per hour will come into effect on Jan. 1, the government said.
"For many Ontarians, wages haven't kept up with [the] increasing cost of living, making it harder than ever to make ends meet,” Ford said on Tuesday.
“I've always said workers deserve to have more money in their pockets because they’ve worked hard and put in long hours — the least the government can do is ensure we're making life more affordable for them,” he added.
Here’s how Ontario’s new increase stacks up against other provinces and territories:
British Columbia (B.C.)
As of June 1, the minimum wage in British Columbia sits at $15.20. B.C. has the highest minimum wage of the Canadian provinces.
Alberta
Alberta implemented a $15.00/hour minimum wage on Oct. 1, 2018. This wage applies to all workers with the exception of students under 18.
Saskatchewan
As of Oct. 1, Saskatchewan’s minimum wage sits at $11.81/hour. According to the Saskatchewan government, workers such as farm labourers, babysitters and some home care workers can be paid under minimum wage.
Manitoba
Manitoba’s minimum wage currently sits at $11.95/hour. This minimum wage applies equally to all employees regardless of age or the number of hours they work.
Quebec
Quebec’s minimum wage was increased to $13.50/hour on May 1. For workers that make tips, the minimum wage is $10.80/hour.
Newfoundland & Labrador
On Oct. 1, Newfoundland and Labrador’s minimum wage was hiked by $0.25 to $12.75. Another review of their minimum wage is expected in early 2022.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick’s minimum wage sits at $11.75/hour as of April 1. This does not apply to certain categories of employees, including government construction work, and counsellors and program staff at residential summer camps.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia’s minimum wage is adjusted annually on April 1. This year, it was increased to $12.95/hour. The province lists out a number of employees on their website who do not have to be compensated minimum wage; see the full list here. Following Ontario’s announcement on Tuesday, the Nova Scotia NDP party tabled legislation to increase their minimum wage to $15.00/hour.
Prince Edward Island (PEI)
PEI’s minimum wage is $13.00 as of April 1. This applies to all employees within the province.
Yukon
This year, Yukon increased its minimum wage to $15.20/hour. The territory has also set out a Fair Wage Schedule to recommend specific wages for certain industries.
Northwest Territories (NWT)
Northwest Territories’ minimum wage is also set at $15.20/hour — matching British Columbia and Yukon for the second-highest in the country. Minimum wage is reviewed every two years in NWT.
Nunavut
Nunavut has the highest minimum wage in the country, currently set at $16.00 an hour. This has no age restrictions and is reviewed yearly.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.