Minimum wage to increase

Ontario’s minimum wage is set to rise to $16.55 an hour on Oct. 1. It marks a 6.8 per cent boost from the current rate of $15.50 an hour, an increase tied to inflation. The in- crease means someone making minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see their pay increase by nearly $2,200 per year, the government said. It will go a long way toward helping people with the cost of living, Labour Min- ister Monte McNaughton said in an interview. Labour advocates have called for a $20 minimum wage.