Saturday, July 4, 2026
ADVT 
National

B.C. minimum wage increases by 45 cents per hour starting June 1

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Feb, 2025 12:43 PM
  • B.C. minimum wage increases by 45 cents per hour starting June 1

The British Columbia government says the province's lowest-paid workers are getting a wage boost to keep pace with inflation.

The Ministry of Labour says the minimum wage will increase from $17.40 to $17.85 per hour starting in June.

It says the 2.6 per cent increase follows changes made last spring to the Employment Standards Act, which mandated yearly wage rises.

Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside says those adjustments were made last year because minimum-wage workers are most vulnerable to jumps in prices for living expenses like groceries, rent and gas.

The province says the changes align with government priorities to help lift more people out of poverty, make life more affordable, and build a strong and fair economy for B.C.

It says minimum wage rates increase on June 1 each year, except for the minimum agricultural piece rates that increase on Dec. 31 to ensure crop producers will not have to adjust wages in the middle of the harvesting season.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canadians feeling the financial heat this summer as housing pain intensifies; few see prices for essentials falling

Canadians feeling the financial heat this summer as housing pain intensifies; few see prices for essentials falling
As the mercury rises across the country, inflation has reportedly cooled, leading many Canadians to hope that better financial days lie ahead. Those days, however, are not yet here.

Canadians feeling the financial heat this summer as housing pain intensifies; few see prices for essentials falling

Feds invest $15M in health-care AI development through Vancouver tech cluster program

Feds invest $15M in health-care AI development through Vancouver tech cluster program
Champagne says the funding will be invested through the ministry's Vancouver-based technology cluster program in five medical tech companies, creating technology that automates certain tasks to enhance care.

Feds invest $15M in health-care AI development through Vancouver tech cluster program

Active wildfires tick up in central B.C., risk of lightning coming to the north

Active wildfires tick up in central B.C., risk of lightning coming to the north
There are two wildfires of note, meaning they are either highly visible or pose a threat to public safety, located in northwestern B.C. The wildfire service's map shows a cluster of about two dozen new fires sparked in the Cariboo.

Active wildfires tick up in central B.C., risk of lightning coming to the north

Targeted shooting in Surrey

Targeted shooting in Surrey
Police say they're investigating after a man turned up at the Surrey Memorial Hospital to receive treatment for minor gunshot injuries. R-C-M-P say officers were in the middle of responding to shots-fired reports along 66 Avenue near 127 Street when the man showed up at the hospital.

Targeted shooting in Surrey

Baby killed in crash

Baby killed in crash
Police say it happened early yesterday morning when the family's car collided with a tractor trailer. The two adults in the front were pronounced dead at the scene, while the baby was airlifted to hospital only to die a few hours later.

Baby killed in crash

B.C. to provide more funding for new medical school, founding dean appointed

B.C. to provide more funding for new medical school, founding dean appointed
Eby says $33.7 million will go toward the renovation of an interim space at an existing building on Simon Fraser's Surrey campus, as well as at leased space to accommodate classrooms, laboratories and offices.

B.C. to provide more funding for new medical school, founding dean appointed