Sunday, July 5, 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

Thousands of racers take to the water as part of Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival

Thousands of racers take to the water as part of Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival
Racers took to the water for what organizers say is North America’s largest dragon boat festival in Vancouver. More than 6,000 racers and 250 entries from across North America and Australia are expected to compete in the two-day event racing a special fleet of 12-metre, 250-kilogram boats for a variety of distances.

Thousands of racers take to the water as part of Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat
Residents of Toronto—St Paul's will head to the polls today to vote for a new member of parliament for their riding, with observers watching to see if the Liberals can hang on to the seat they've held for the last 10 elections. The byelection was prompted by the resignation of former Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, who held the seat for more than 25 years and was recently appointed ambassador to Denmark. 

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat

Body found in a Kelowna park

Body found in a Kelowna park
Police are still investigating the cause of death of a woman whose body was found at a Kelowna park on Friday. Mounties say the 28-year-old was found on the shores of Okanagan Lake in Waterfront Park.

Body found in a Kelowna park

Motorcyclist dies in crash

Motorcyclist dies in crash
A motorcyclist has died following a crash in North Vancouver on Saturday night. The North Vancouver R-C-M-P say in a social media post that the motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the crash that killed the man on Low Level Road.

Motorcyclist dies in crash

B.C. launches class-action lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'

B.C. launches class-action lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'
The British Columbia government says it has filed a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of so-called "forever chemicals" involved in what it calls widespread contamination of drinking-water systems. Attorney General Niki Sharma says the province is the first Canadian jurisdiction to sue makers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

B.C. launches class-action lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'

Body found near Kelowna

Body found near Kelowna
R-C-M-P say a woman's body has been found in Waterfront Park near downtown Kelowna on the shores of Okanagan Lake. The Mounties say they're working with the B-C Coroners Service to identify the woman and determine the cause of her death. 

Body found near Kelowna