۴ý

Business

    • Minimum wage rises in six provinces, but is it enough?

    Share

    Amid a cost-of-living crisis driving up food bank visits and economic anxiety, the minimum wage increased in six provinces today – but both advocates and critics fear it may not be enough to tackle the overarching problem.

    While B.C., Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and the territories will see no changes to wage rates, the minimum wage in Ontario will go up to $16.55 an hour, Manitoba to $15.30, while Nova Scotia, P.E.I and Newfoundland and Labrador rise to $15.

    Saskatchewan’s minimum wage also rose today to $14, but is still the lowest in the country, trailing New Brunswick by 75 cents.

    Advocates welcome the raises, but say it is still not enough to help Canadians make ends meet.

    "Our living wage is actually $23 dollars and 15 cents,” Craig Pickthorne, communications coordinator with Ontario Living Wage Network, told CTV National News. “That means if you're working full time at minimum wage, even after this increase, you're still short by $230 a week."

    The increase represents for a person earning minimum wage and working 40 hours a week in Ontario.

    Post-secondary student Mya Copeland told CTV National News that the raise won’t fully cover increasing expenses.

    “No matter how much you raise minimum wage, things are always going to be so expensive,” Copeland said.

    Manitoba’s minimum wage has jumped up by $1.15 per hour, and is now trailing only Ontario, B.C. and the territories in minimum wage. In Canada, the highest minimum wage is in the Yukon, where workers receive $16.77 per hour, followed closely by B.C.’s $16.75 per hour minimum wage.

    Nunavut’s minimum wage is $16 per hour, and the Northwest Territories saw its minimum wage increase to $16.05 per hour in September.

    With this new increase, Nova Scotia workers are now earning $1.40 more per hour compared to last year.

    It’s a change that is eight years overdue, says one policy analyst, as the working class make more visits to the foodbanks.

    “They’re getting by by making very difficult choices, whether that may mean not filling their prescription drugs because they can’t afford to, that might mean sacrificing food,” Christine Saulnier, director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in Halifax, told CTV National News.

    In Saskatchewan, Food Banks of Canada’s poverty index gave the province a barely-passing grade in September, finding that more than a quarter of those surveyed were unable to afford items considered necessary for an adequate standard of living.

    The province has pledged to reach a $15 an hour minimum wage by Oct. 2024.

    The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the wage increases seen today may create challenges for small business owners that can’t afford to pay their staff, predicting some may have to cut jobs.

    “It does push more businesses to try and look at what processes to try and be able to automate, whether they can reduce the number of hours that they have,” Dan Kelly, CEO of the group, told CTV National News.

    One economist, on the other hand, warns the minimum wage rises are only a Band-aid solution, and that inflation may cause overall costs to once again outstrip the gains of minimum wage.

    “That’s not going to fix the problem,” Moshe Lander, professor at Concordia University, told CTV National News.

    “At a time when the Bank of Canada is struggling to reign in inflation, I hate to say it, but this is an inflationary move on multiple provinces which increases the likelihood that at some point in the next six months, we’re probably going to talk about another interest rate increase again.”

    A recent Leger survey found that half of young Canadians report living paycheque-to-paycheque, with an increasing number of millennials and Gen Z adults changing their spending habits due to the increasing cost of living.

    Advocates say they would like to see all levels of government step in with more policies across the board to support low income workers during these difficult economic times.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    Canada

    • British Columbia's highest court has weighed in on a dispute over an inflatable hot tub a couple set up on their condo's patio – potentially bringing a close to the years-long conflict.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’

    • Two Vancouver city councillors are questioning why they’ve been ousted from city appointed roles.

    • The rain has only just stopped pummelling parts of Metro Vancouver, but for the hundreds of residents left with flood-damaged homes, the nightmare is far from over.

    • Cole Mcleod was home with his roommate in their 21st floor apartment on Monday afternoon when the fire alarm went off in the downtown Vancouver building. Then, he smelled smoke.

    • The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) and opposition leaders at Queen's Park are calling on the government to reduce, or eliminate, parking fees at hospitals for staff, patients and visitors.

    • Taylor Swift fans from far and wide will head to Toronto next month to see the superstar perform a series of six sold out shows at the Rogers Centre.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • Bricks along the pathway at Calgary’s Olympic Plaza have been removed and it wasn’t by the city. It appears people are coming to grab bricks with their names, family members’ name or a saying ahead of the plaza closing.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      An Orléans property that once belonged to a religious order is now in the City of Ottawa's hands.

    • You will be able to pick up beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages at Costco, Walmart and more grocery stores in Ottawa next week.

    • Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault promised on Tuesday to toughen secularism measures in schools, saying he was 'shocked' by revelations about a Montreal public school where a group of teachers had tried to introduce what the premier described as 'Islamist' beliefs.

    • The Quebec government wants to hear Quebecers' thoughts about scrapping the twice-yearly time change, but it isn't promising to act on them.

    • The death of a woman in her 50s in Montreal's Anjou borough is being considered as 'suspicious' by authorities.

    • Police are looking for a man and a woman who robbed an Edmonton jewelry store earlier this month.

    • Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) custodians have voted 97 per cent in favour of going on strike.

    • A new commentary suggests the Government of Alberta purposely pushed false narratives around public safety to scale down safe supply in the province.

    • Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    • The president of a popular New Brunswick potato chip company has been arrested for domestic violence in Bangor, Maine.

    • A special weather statement is in effect Wednesday as Environment Canada warns of possible heavy rain and strong winds in parts of Nova Scotia later this week.

    • Folks making the trek to and from Thompson along Highway 6 are once again without a bathroom break… at least for now.

    • The Manitoba government is restoring the 1:1 apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio.

    • A number of Manitoba communities kicked off the week by breaking decades-old heat records.

    • Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) has found that former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal violated legislative rules by profiting from hotels while they were party to government contracts.

    • A determined group within Moose Jaw has stepped up to provide assistance to those in need – following the closure of one of the city's shelters.

    • Saturday's matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders could determine if they clinch the West Division title, however the results from Winnipeg's game earlier in the day could make their matchup meaningless.

    • Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a sudden death in Kitchener.

    • No one was hurt after playground equipment went up in flames at a Kitchener, Ont. park.

    • A bloodstain pattern analyst expert testified Tuesday at Erick Buhr’s second-degree murder trial.

    • A Saskatoon family is voicing concerns after paying twice as much PST as expected on a recently purchased truck.

    • Hundreds of voter information cards have landed in the wrong hands.

    • A city planning document for the Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) sparked controversy over the weekend, with three civic election candidates alleging Confederation Mall was at risk of being demolished and replaced with dense housing.

    • Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening

    • The Sudbury jury is still out deliberating whether or not Felicity Altiman killed Robert Keskinen, 75, in December 2020.

    • Police said the house is believed to be empty and abandoned and it's not known yet if the driver of the truck is injured.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • A collision between a pickup truck and SUV shuttered the intersection of Base Line and New Road for several hours.

    • A thriving circular economy extends the lives of products.

    • Emergency crews rushed to the scene of a serious collision in Barrie’s south end involving a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.

    • Drivers are asked to be on the lookout for deer and other wildlife crossing our highways.

    • Residents living in central Windsor are calling for after-hours construction to expand a commercial development to stop.

    • NextStar Energy is celebrating the official start of battery module production.

    • The University of Windsor board of governors has upheld its decision to disqualify a motion that aims to pause a pair of agreements with pro-Palestinian protesters.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    • Premier and NDP Leader David Eby says he's been told by the B.C. Green Party that it's too early to begin talks about a minority government agreement after the weekend's still-undecided provincial election.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.

    • Alberta is offering infrastructure funding to help municipalities accommodate recent population growth. The province has added a little over 500,000 people over five years, putting pressure on public services.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won’t fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    • An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at ۴ý. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow ۴ý