Durham workers say Ontario's $17.95 minimum wage falls short as GTA living wage hits $27.20

Ontario's general minimum wage increased from $17.60 to $17.95 an hour on October 1, a 35-cent increase tied to the Ontario Consumer Price Index and adjusted each year on that date. The provincial government says the increase will benefit more than 700,000 workers across Ontario, and that a full-time minimum-wage worker will receive about $728 more a year before taxes. About 35 per cent of minimum-wage workers are employed in retail, while another 24 per cent work in accommodation and food services, according to the province.

Some Durham workers say it is not enough. Saad Noor, who works at Real Canadian Superstore, helps support his parents and drives for Uber about five hours a day, told Wesal TV he has been out of high school for two years but cannot afford to start college, and would like to see the minimum wage reach at least $22 an hour. "I'm not looking only for a wage increase," Noor told Wesal TV. "I want an income that allows us to live and also build our future." Whitby resident Habibullah Sabir called the increase a positive step but said workers are still struggling with rent, groceries, electricity and transportation costs, and would like to see the rate reach at least $20 an hour.

The gap remains wide: the Ontario Living Wage Network's most recent regional calculations put the Greater Toronto Area living wage at $27.20 an hour for 2025 — the hourly pay a worker needs to cover basic expenses and participate in their community.