National

B.C.’s minimum wage increases to $18.25, June 1

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 26 May, 2026 10:57 AM

As of Monday, June 1, 2026, the province's general minimum wage will rise to $18.25 an hour.

Types of wages affected

The increase of just over 2.1% raises the general minimum wage from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour. The same percentage increase applies to the minimum rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based ride-hailing and delivery service workers.

The minimum agricultural piece-rate wages for the hand harvesting of specified crops will increase by just over 2.1% on Dec. 31, 2026. The Dec. 31 date for the annual increase to the minimum piece rates ensures crop producers will not need to adjust wages in the middle of the harvesting season.

Context for this increase

* The Province is committed to a minimum wage structure that benefits the lowest-paid workers, while providing employers with certainty and predictability.

* Changes were made to the Employment Standards Act in 2024 to ensure annual minimum wage increases occur automatically based on B.C.'s average monthly inflation rate from the previous year.

* Approximately 141,300 employees in B.C. earned the minimum wage or less in 2025.

* These increases have moved B.C. from near the bottom to among the highest minimum wages in Canada.

Learn More:

* For details on this year's minimum wage increase, read the news release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026LBR0002-000191

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Feds issue new COVID vaccine guidance, says provinces now responsible for buying them

Federal funding for COVID-19 vaccines will stop this year and the provinces and territories will be responsible for buying them, as well as determining the timing of the vaccinations, the Public Health Agency of Canada says. The agency published the information online on Friday, along with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization's COVID-19 vaccine guidance for 2025 through to the summer of 2026.

Feds issue new COVID vaccine guidance, says provinces now responsible for buying them

Ottawa signs $40M deal with Saskatchewan to offer drug coverage for rare diseases

The Saskatchewan and federal governments have announced an agreement for coverage of select new drugs for rare diseases. Ottawa says the plan is to invest more than $40 million to cover three drugs that treat certain cancers and a urinary issue.

Ottawa signs $40M deal with Saskatchewan to offer drug coverage for rare diseases

Liberal leadership race: A look at the potential candidates

The federal Liberals are running their first leadership race in more than a decade and their shortest in the party's modern history to replace Justin Trudeau. He announced Jan. 6 that he will step down as soon as a national vote is completed to elect his successor.

Liberal leadership race: A look at the potential candidates

Man dies after falling into a sinkhole while skiing at resort in southeast B.C.

A skier has died after falling into what police say was a snow sinkhole at the Fernie Alpine Resort in British Columbia's East Kootenay region. RCMP say in a statement that an ambulance was called for the 67-year-old man on Wednesday when he was found buried in snow in a natural terrain trap.

Man dies after falling into a sinkhole while skiing at resort in southeast B.C.

Border jumper into Canada deported

U-S Customs and Border Protection says the 33-year-old man was handed back to American authorities in Tacoma, Washington. The man was arrested in Surrey over the weekend.

Border jumper into Canada deported

Snowfall warning for 2 BC highways

Environment Canada is warning of heavy snowfall on two stretches of highways in B-C overnight and possibly stretching into today. The agency says Highway 16 from Tete Jaune Cache to the Alberta boundary will see up to 10 centimetres of snow through noon.