Minimum wage hikes set to begin across five provinces

Minimum wages rising in five provinces
Minimum wages rising in five provinces
Canada's annual pace of inflation ticked higher in December, but the rate was weaker than expected as lower food prices helped offset increases in the transportation and shelter groups. A loonie is pictured in North Vancouver, in a December 31, 2013, file photo.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Writer

The minimum wage is going up in five provinces.

The bumps of between 25 and 40 cents come in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Like other government announcements, Ontario has tied the increase to the rising cost of living.

It's moving its minimum wage up to $17.95 an hour, while P.E.I. is boosting it to $17.30 and Nova Scotia moves it to $17.

In Manitoba, the wage goes up to $16.40, and in Saskatchewan to $15.70.

The changes mean all provinces and territories will have raised their rates this year with the exception of Alberta, which hasn't increased its minimum wage since 2019.

Alberta maintains the country's lowest minimum wage at $15 an hour.

Nunavut lifted its minimum wage at the beginning of September and leads the country at just over $20 an hour.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026.

Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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