Ontario’s minimum wage rises today to $16.55 an hour.
The increase is tied to inflation, and is up 6.8 per cent from the previous rate of $15.50 an hour.
The province first announced the increase in March, in order to give businesses time to plan.
Financial news and insights
delivered to your email every Saturday.
Labour advocates and opposition critics have said Ontario should introduce a $20 minimum wage.
The Ontario Living Wage Network says a living wage in the Greater Toronto Area is around $23 an hour.
The Progressive Conservatives cancelled a planned minimum wage increase from $14 to $15 per hour after they took office in 2018, then raised it to $15 in January of last year and tied later increases to inflation.