B.C. announces minimum wage increase

Provincial minimum wages are on the move again in 2026, with fresh increases announced in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador along with previously confirmed hikes taking effect in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

In British Columbia, the provincial government has confirmed that the general minimum wage will rise from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour on June 1, 2026, an increase indexed to the province’s 2025 inflation rate of just over 2.1 per cent.

The government says the annual adjustment is meant to ensure low‑wage earners’ pay “keeps pace with the cost of essentials” such as food and transportation, and continues its practice of linking minimum wage to the average rate of inflation in the previous year. Source: B.C. government news release.

The same increase applies to specialized minimum wages, such as the rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and piece-rate agricultural workers. The increase also applies to the special minimum wage for app-based ride-hailing and delivery-service workers, established in September 2024.

Effective June 1, 2026, the minimum wage for app-based ride-hailing and delivery service workers in B.C. is $21.89 per hour of engaged time, says the government. Minimum piece rates for hand-harvested crops will increase by the same percentage on Dec. 31, 2026.

Newfoundland and Labrador increases

Newfoundland and Labrador has confirmed it is also moving ahead with another increase. The province’s minimum wage will go from $16.00 to $16.35 per hour on April 1, 2026.

The minimum overtime rate is climbing to $24.53 per hour, in line with the Labour Standards Regulations requirement for annual CPI‑based adjustments.

In its Feb. 26 announcement, the provincial government emphasized that April 1 is the standard effective date for minimum wage updates and that the 35‑cent hike reflects changes in the national Consumer Price Index. 

Quebec increases for May

Quebec employers are already bracing for a May 1, 2026 increase. The province’s minimum wage will rise from $16.10 to $16.60 per hour, while the rate for tipped workers will move from $12.90 to $13.30.

The 50‑cent increase is framed by the government as a balance between protecting workers’ purchasing power and maintaining business competitiveness.

A recent breakdown of the change notes that roughly 258,900 workers are expected to benefit, and a full‑time minimum‑wage earner will see about $687 in extra annual income.

Minimum wage boosts for Atlantic provinces

In Atlantic Canada, both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have posted their 2026 rates. New Brunswick’s employment standards guidance confirms the province’s minimum wage is $15.90 per hour as of April 1, 2026, up from $15.65, with overtime payable at 1.5 times that rate, or $23.85 per hour, after 44 hours in a week.

Nova Scotia is sticking with its CPI‑plus‑one‑per‑cent formula and has scheduled two increases: the minimum wage rises from $16.50 to $16.75 on April 1, 2026 and then to $17.00 on October 1, 2026, as set out in the province’s Minimum Wage Order and related employment rights materials.

About one in three (32 per cent) of Canadian companies say mandatory minimum wage hikes result in increased salaries/wages across the entire company – not just for minimum wage workers.

Minimum wage rates across Canada

Here are the minimum wage rates across Canada, according to the federal government: