Which governments are increasing based pay?
Human resources professionals in several Canadian jurisdictions need to make some preparations ahead of the coming minimum wage increase in the province.
The federal hourly minimum wage will jump to $18.10 from the current $17.75, effective April 1, 2026.
On that same date, the per hour wage rates among the following provinces will jump:
- from $15.65 to $15.90 in New Brunswick
- from 16.00 to $16.35 in Newfoundland and Labrador
- from $16.50 to $16.75 in Nova Scotia
- from $16.50 and to $17.00 in Prince Edward Island
- from $17.94 to $18.51 in Yukon
"Obviously, minimum wage does have to go up… Our low-wage earners have to have a livable wage, and this is another step towards that," said provincial P.E.I.’s Finance Minister Jill Burridge back then, according to a CBC report.
The living wage rate in P.E.I. was $22.77 per hour back in 2025, according to a previous report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
Here are the living wage rates in different Canadian provinces as of 2025, according to data from the CCPA and Living Wage BC:
|
Region / jurisdiction |
2025 living wage (C$/hour) |
Level |
Notes |
Key CCPA / Living Wage BC source links |
|
Newfoundland and Labrador (province‑wide) |
$25.31 |
Provincial weighted average (working‑age population) |
Table 2 “Provincial weighted average living wages 2024–2025” lists: N.L. $25.31 (2025) vs $24.70 (2024), +2.45%. |
From CCPA |
|
Nova Scotia (province‑wide) |
$27.60 |
Provincial weighted average (working‑age population) |
Same Table 2 shows N.S. $27.60 (2025) vs $26.63 (2024), +3.64%. Table 6 confirms: “Provincial Weighted Average (working population): $27.60 in 2025; $26.63 in 2024.” |
|
|
Prince Edward Island (province‑wide) |
$22.77 |
Provincial weighted average (working‑age population) |
Table 2 lists P.E.I. $22.77 (2025) and $22.77 (2024), 0% change. Table 12 notes: “Provincial Weighted Average (working population): $22.77 in 2025; $22.77 in 2024.” |
|
|
Halifax (Nova Scotia) |
$29.40 |
Regional (within NS) |
Table 6 “Living wages Nova Scotia, 2025 and 2024” shows Halifax at $29.40 (2025) and $28.30 (2024), +3.89%; highest regional living wage in NS. |
|
|
Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) |
$24.50 |
Regional (within NS) |
Table 6: Cape Breton $24.50 (2025) and $24.00 (2024), +2.08%; lowest NS regional rate. |
|
|
Annapolis Valley (Nova Scotia) |
$27.20 |
Regional (within NS) |
Table 6: Annapolis Valley $27.20 (2025), $26.20 (2024), +3.82%. |
|
|
Northern NS |
$25.50 |
Regional (within NS) |
Table 6: Northern $25.50 (2025), $24.90 (2024), +2.41%. |
|
|
Southern NS |
$26.60 |
Regional (within NS) |
Table 6: Southern $26.60 (2025), $25.20 (2024), +5.56%; largest year‑over‑year increase in NS. |
|
|
St. John’s (Newfoundland & Labrador, region incl. St. John’s) |
$23.75 |
Regional (within NL) |
N.L. regional table (Table 9) shows St. John’s region at $23.75 (2025). |
|
|
Labrador–Northern Peninsula (Newfoundland & Labrador) |
$28.30 |
Regional (within NL) |
Table 9: Labrador–Northern Peninsula $28.30 (2025), $27.30 (2024); commentary notes this region has among the highest living wages in Atlantic Canada. |
|
|
Other NL regions (Central, Eastern, Western) |
$24–26 range |
Regional (within NL) |
NL table (Table 9) lists regional rates in the mid‑$20s; these feed into the provincial weighted average of $25.31. |
|
|
Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) |
$23.30 |
Regional (within PEI) |
Table 12: Charlottetown $23.30 (2025) and $23.30 (2024), 0% change. |
|
|
Summerside (Prince Edward Island, incl. rural PEI) |
$22.20 |
Regional (within PEI) |
Table 12: Summerside $22.20 (2025) and $22.20 (2024), 0% change; this rate is used to represent the rest of PEI including rural areas. |
|
|
Metro Vancouver (British Columbia) |
$27.85 |
Community‑level |
Living Wage BC community table lists Metro Vancouver 2025 living wage at $27.85 (+3.0% from 2024). |
From Living Wage BC |
|
Greater Victoria (British Columbia) |
$27.40 |
Community‑level |
Same BC table shows Greater Victoria at $27.40 (2025), +2.3% from 2024. |
|
|
Whistler (British Columbia) |
$29.60 |
Community‑level |
BC table lists Whistler at $29.60 (2025), +5.4%; one of the highest BC living‑wage communities. |
|
|
Salt Spring Island (British Columbia) |
$28.45 |
Community‑level |
Listed at $28.45 (2025), +8.0% vs 2024. |
|
|
Squamish (British Columbia) |
$28.00 |
Community‑level |
Listed at $28.00 (2025), +4.6%. |
|
|
Golden & Revelstoke (British Columbia) |
$27.80 |
Community‑level |
Both Golden and Revelstoke appear at $27.80 (2025) in the table. |
|
|
Grand Forks (British Columbia) |
$21.55 |
Community‑level |
Among the lowest BC 2025 living‑wage communities; listed at $21.55 (+3.6%). |
For human resources professionals, the increase may require adjustments to wage grids, payroll systems, employment contracts and staffing budgets to maintain compliance and manage potential wage compression.
The Government of Prince Edward Island said the latest increase is part of its ongoing process of acting on recommendations from the Employment Standards Board.
What’s the impact of minimum wage increase?
Previously, Frédéric Gionet, the director of legislative affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in Atlantic Canada, noted that the minimum wage increase in P.E.I. will result in modest net pay raise for workers.
"It's not going to make a difference on reducing poverty in that sense,” he said.
He added that 60 per cent of Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) members will need to raise prices and increase wages for other employees in response to a wage increase.
"If you're making $20 an hour, and then the minimum wage is going up, there's some kind of upward pressure on those who are already making more than minimum wage, and that's the majority of small businesses already paying above minimum wage. So really, it's inflationary a little bit."
He concluded: "They're not going to have any other choice but to raise prices, which contributes, therefore, to the cost of living.”
Here are the minimum wage rates across Canada, according to government websites as of 2026:
|
Jurisdiction |
General minimum wage (C$/hour) |
Effective date of this rate |
|
Federal (Canada Labour Code – federally regulated sectors) |
$18.10 |
Apr 1, 2026 |
|
Alberta |
$15.00 |
Oct 1, 2018 (unchanged through Apr 1, 2026) |
|
British Columbia |
$17.85 |
Jun 1, 2025 |
|
Manitoba |
$16.00 |
Oct 1, 2025 |
|
New Brunswick |
$15.90 |
Apr 1, 2026 |
|
Newfoundland and Labrador |
$16.35 |
Apr 1, 2026 |
|
Nova Scotia |
$16.75 |
Apr 1, 2026 |
|
Ontario |
$17.60 |
Oct 1, 2025 |
|
Prince Edward Island |
$17.00 |
Apr 1, 2026 |
|
Quebec |
$16.10 |
May 1, 2025 (remains in force on Apr 1, 2026; next change May 1, 2026) |
|
Saskatchewan |
$15.35 |
Oct 1, 2025 |
|
Yukon |
$18.51 |
Apr 1, 2026 |
|
Northwest Territories |
$16.95 |
Sep 1, 2025 |
|
Nunavut |
$19.75 |
Sep 1, 2025 |
