2014 is shaping up to be the year of the minimum wage increase across Canada. As we reported back in May 2014, the general minimum wage in Ontario was raised from $10.25 per hour to $11.00 per hour as of June 1, 2014. Earlier this week on September 1, 2014, Alberta also raised its general minimum wage from $9.95 per hour to $10.20 per hour, which means that every jurisdiction in Canada has now passed the $10.00 general minimum wage barrier.
In the meantime, 7 other provinces and territories have either increased, or will shortly be increasing, their general minimum wage rate. A list of the new rates and the effective dates is set out below:
| Jurisdiction | Old rate | New rate | Effective date |
| Nova Scotia | $10.30 | $10.40 | April 1 2014 |
| Yukon | $10.54 | $10.72 | April 1 2014 |
| Quebec | $10.15 | $10.35 | May 1 2014 |
| Ontario | $10.25 | $11.00 | June 1 2014 |
| Alberta | $9.95 | $10.20 | September 1 2014 |
| Manitoba | $10.45 | $10.70 | October 1 2014 |
| NFLD | $10.00 | $10.25 | October 1 2014 |
| PEI | $10.20 | $10.35 | October 1 2014 |
| Saskatchewan | $10.00 | $10.20 | October 1 2014 |
The 3 provinces and territories that have not indicated an intention to change their general minimum wage rate are the following:
| BC | $10.25 | May 1, 2012 |
| NWT | $10.00 | April 1, 2011 |
| Nunavut | $11.00 | January 1, 2011 |
It appears that the next trend in the area of minimum wage rates is the indexing of those rate to changes in the Consumer Price Index. Currently, Nova Scotia and Yukon both adjust their general minimum wage rate annually on April 1 to match the increase (if any) in the Consumer Price Index. Ontario is currently considering legislation (which has not yet passed) that would implement a similar process in Ontario with indexing to begin on October 1, 2015.
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