Minimum wage hike a boost to Barrie workers, seen as positive by businesses
The Ontario minimum wage now stands at $15.50 an hour, a 50-cent increase.
This comes when the cost of living has reached record highs after inflation reached a four-decade mark in June.
Anshul Bisht moved to Barrie from India in August to attend Georgian College. The 26-year-old was shocked by the price of food and everyday essentials.
According to Statistics Canada, groceries alone rose nearly 11 percent since last year, leaving Bisht to cut down on his spending and pursue a job in the community to get by while he studies in Ontario.
"I heard on the news that minimum wage is going up. It's great!" said Bisht. "It's more difficult for us to manage our daily needs."
Bisht found employment at Birds Nest, a downtown Barrie funnel cake and waffle cafe, that opened in June.
For many Barrie-area businesses, the pandemic devastated revenue and depleted staffing levels. The Barrie Chamber of Commerce said the hourly increase is a step in the right direction to make life more affordable in Simcoe County.
"It's a necessary evil, you've got costs going up on fuel on groceries and everything else, so it does get us closer to a living number," said Paul Markle, the executive director. "But it still has a long way to go to make this something you can afford to live on."
According to Markle, there were 7,500 new jobs created in Simcoe County in August with 11,000 job openings.
The chamber said many unfilled jobs are concerning as businesses struggle to recruit and balance the rising cost of products.
"When covid first hit, we were only making $12.20 an hour, so it's a great thing to have now but at the same time there's no staff," said Kristin Forder, the manager at Cottage Canoe in Barrie.
The province of Ontario indicated that the minimum wage rates would increase each year on October 1.
The newest rates could be announced on or before April 1, 2023
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.