Ontario Minimum Wage Increases To A Still Unlivable Rate

By Scott Slute

Queens Park - Starting next month Ontario’s minimum wage will go up from $14.25 to $14.35. The increase will see full-time minimum wage workers receiving an extra $0.80 per day, equal to a whole 4 dollars a week!

As of October 1, employers will be required to pay workers an increased rate. Many millionaire business owners have said they’ll be struggling to adjust giving their employees more money.

Camillo Marronie, owner of 5 restaurants and a bakery in downtown Toronto, tells us how he plans to adjust to the impending wage increase.

“It’s going to be a real challenge to pay my employees more money,” Camillo tells us from one of his two cottages, “We’re going to have to reduce the hours we can give to our employees. In fact, we ran the numbers and it looks like this wage increase is actually going to save me money!”

And with the average apartment price in Toronto being $1800, workers can now expect to have $400 of disposable income each month, before taxes.

“Ya I’m really excited for this wage increase. It’ll give me an additional $24 each month,” Shoppers Drug Mart cashier Karlie Phillips tells us, “If I can save that extra $24 each month, then in 10 months I’ll have enough money to afford to go to the dentist that I have to pay for entirely out of pocket!”

The increase is set to take place just a few weeks before Ontario’s next lockdown where all the employees benefiting will be back on EI.

Scott Slute is the Editor in Chief at The Toronto Harold