Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Mon. September 29th, 2025

Here in Ontario, the minimum wage will soon be $17.60 per hour. As of Wednesday, Ontario’s minimum wage workers are getting a 40-cent hourly payraise. But they aren’t the only province doing this, as 4 others are also hiking their minimum wage on October 1st, with increases ranging between 20 cents and $1.30 per hour. That list includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and PEI.  CFIB President Dan Kelly says that only 4 percent of minimum-wage workers are trying to support a family with that salary as their primary source of income. He adds that the only way minimum wage levels can work is if we can strike a delicate balance that doesn’t cause a big disruption. However, the brand-new salary isn’t high enough for the President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, who has been fighting for a $20-per-hour minimum wage since 2020. Laura Walton joins the program to explain why. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.