Nova Scotia will institute an inflation-plus-one-percent formula, bringing the minimum wage from $16.50 to $16.75 per hour, with a second increase to $17.00 per hour expected on October 1, 2026.

Prince Edward Island will maintain the highest minimum wage in Atlantic Canada with an increase from $16.50 to $17.00 per hour, which equates to approximately $1,040 more in annual earnings before taxes for full-time minimum wage earners.

In New Brunswick, the minimum wage is tied to the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) and will see an increase from $15.65 to $15.90 per hour. Overtime pay will be calculated at 1.5 times this rate or $23.85 per hour for hours worked beyond the 44-hour workweek.

Newfoundland and Labrador uses an indexed approach to adjust its minimum wage also based on the CPI. There, the minimum wage will increase from $16.00 to $16.35 per hour, representative of a 2.2 percent increase based on finalized inflation data.

Yukon’s minimum wage is adjusted annually based on the Whitehorse CPI, not the national CPI, and as a result has one of the highest in the country, which is reflective of the higher costs of living. The minimum hourly wage is expected to increase from $17.94 to approximately $18.51 per hour based on a 3.2 percent inflation adjustment.

Likewise, the federal minimum hourly wage will rise for those who are in federally regulated sectors like banking, telecommunications, interprovincial transportation, postal services, and certain Crown corporations. The rate will increase from $17.75 per hour to approximately $18.10 per hour on April 1 and follows Canada’s automatic CPI indexation formula, which means no legislative debate is required.

If a provincial minimum hourly wage is higher than the federal rate, employers must pay the higher amount even in federally regulated industries, which is the case for Nunavut and will be the case for Yukon when April’s increase comes through.

The upcoming rate increase in British Columbia will see the minimum wage rise from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour on June 1, 2026, a 2.1 percent increase indexed to the province’s 2025 inflation rate. The same increase applies to specialized minimum hourly wages for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, and piece-rate agricultural workers.

In Quebec, the minimum wage will increase from $16.10 to $16.60 per hour on May 1, 2026, representing a 3.11 percent increase. The rate for tipped workers will also rise from $12.90 to $13.30 per hour which will be to the benefit of nearly 258,900 workers in the province.

Ontario’s minimum wage is calculated using a different schedule whereby the government announces new rates on or before April 1 but implements them on October 1. This year, based on a projected 2.2 percent CPI increase, the minimum wage is expected to rise from $17.60 to approximately $18.00 per hour with student minimum wage proportionally increasing from $16.60 to approximately $16.97 per hour.

While these increases will certainly support workers in meeting their basic needs, many worker advocate organizations continue to stress that they are nowhere close to a living wage, which is an estimate of what a worker needs to earn per house to cover basic expenses like food, housing, transportation, childcare, and other essentials in a local context.

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The decline was dominated by a loss of full-time and private sector jobs, many of which were in goods and services-producing industries. Wholesale and retail trade was down 18,000, construction lost 12,000 jobs, and manufacturing was also down 9,000 jobs, with men aged 25 to 54 and young people between the ages of 15 and 24 the hardest hit, particularly racialized youth.

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On average, Canadians bought the equivalent of eight drinks per week between March 2024 and March 2025, showing a decrease from 8.7 the year before, with ciders and coolers the only category that experienced growth while beer, wine, and spirits sales fell.

Alcohol also costs consumers more, as prices rose 1.6 percent, with alcohol purchased in licensed establishments like bars and restaurants up nine percent year over year. Industry averages show that alcohol sales accounted for 21.1 percent of total revenues at these establishments in 2013, but despite the rise in costs, they fell to 17.1 percent by 2023.

Between 2024 and 2025, beer sales were down 1.6 percent to $9.1 billion. Based on volume, the sector experienced its ninth consecutive annual decline. Wine sales were down 2.2 percent to $7.7 billion over the same period, with volume falling for the fourth year, while spirit sales fell 3.2 percent to $6.7 billion.

This is a national example of an international trend, as global wine consumption is at the lowest it has been since 1961, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, which is indicative of changing lifestyles, social habits, generational changes in consumer behaviour, and rising inflation rates.

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The timing is right too, given the crucial juncture the Canadian economy finds itself at. Dr. Zinaty will lead the organization through a bold new strategic phase that seeks to bridge the gap between women-owned businesses and the high-value supply chains of major corporations and government entities.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Georgette Zinaty as our new President,” said Celso Afonseca, Chair of the WBE Canada Board of Directors. “Dr. Zinaty is a purpose-driven, strategic leader whose visionary leadership and deep commitment to advancing women-owned businesses, driving innovation, and strengthening inclusion will guide the organization into its next chapter. Together with our team and partners, she will champion our WBE community while strengthening partnerships and delivering meaningful value to our corporate members, fostering collaboration, connection, and sustainable growth across Canada.”

Further to holding a Doctorate in Business (DBA), a joint program with the Rotman School of Business and the Henley School of Business, Dr. Zinaty brings two decades of executive leadership in academia, technology, and consultancy, which will accelerate WBE Canada’s mission of building a strong, inclusive Canadian ecosystem. Her research focused on the future of leadership and the importance of diversity in organizational performance, complementary to her Master of Business Administration from the University of Liverpool, a Master of Science from the Henley School of Business, and a certificate in Leading Strategic Change within Organizations from Harvard University.

Prior to undertaking this role, Dr. Zinaty served as the Chief of Staff at Myant Corporation, a leader in textile computing and advanced material science, was Executive Vice President at Corporate Class Inc., and had over 20 years in senior leadership at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Zinaty is the recipient of the CILAR Aspiring Innovator of the Year Award, the Community Leader Award by Immigrant at Large Canada, and the Remarkable Citizen Award, and was named an Immigrant Woman of Inspiration by the publication Canadian Immigrant. As the founder of WHEW! (Women Helping Empower Women), she has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to capacity building and grassroots action. She is also a regular contributor to Forbes and is a two-time TEDx speaker.

“I am honoured to join WBE Canada and am deeply inspired by the mission to connect women-owned businesses with the public and private sectors,” said Dr. Zinaty. “Supplier diversity is more than a strategic imperative; it is a vital asset for any organization looking to mitigate risk and drive innovation in today’s volatile global market. I am eager to work with our purpose-driven team and Board of Directors to take WBE Canada to the next level, ensuring that women-owned and led firms are not only part of the conversation but are central to Canada’s economic stability and growth.”

Under Dr. Zinaty’s leadership, WBE Canada will focus on three core strategic areas: innovation in supply chain, technological empowerment, community and ecosystem building. Efforts will be made to move beyond traditional metrics to better integrate inclusion and innovation into core business strategies, to help WBEs leverage AI and digital transformation to scale their operations and successfully bid on major procurement contracts, and to strengthen the bridge between WBEs and buyers through networking, matchmaking, and national events.

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At the time, due to deteriorating conditions in the food industry, the company felt it was necessary to have one company focused on groceries and the other on sauces and spreads, but the challenges have been deemed “fixable and within our control,” which has resulted in the pause.

The company has failed to grow with expectations over the last decade of its formation, which was the result of a merger orchestrated by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital. “We busted through four or five levels of price points in a very accelerated fashion, and the consumer was left very disappointed in that,” Cahillane said on a post-earnings call of the company’s struggles with price hikes and consumer confidence in their products, instead drawn to healthier alternatives.

“Faced with the choice of continuing the separation and all the work that’s required there or shifting all resources against growing the business and the early opportunities that I saw, it became very compelling that we ⁠ought to pause the separation,” Cahillane told Reuters ⁠in an interview.

The pause is not indefinite, as it could move forward in the future, but there is no end date for the pause, which is expected to save the company $300 million USD in costs in 2026. “The company’s decision to table/postpone separation plans and instead accelerate reinvestment reveals deeper problems than previously acknowledged by the company,” said Steve Powers, analyst at Deutsche ⁠Bank.

“We support CEO Steve Cahillane and the Kraft Heinz Board of Directors’ decision, under Steve’s new leadership, to pause work on the company’s previously planned separation,” Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO Greg Abel said in a statement on Wednesday. “As a result, management can commit to strengthening Kraft Heinz’s ability to compete and serve customers.”

Cahillane outlined a strategy to restore profitability and growth, which includes a greater focus on marketing and research, innovation, and a $600 million USD investment to drive recovery in its U.S. business where many of the company’s challenges exist.

“To turn this around, we are increasing investments in R&D by approximately 20 percent in 2026 compared to 2025,” Cahillane said, adding that the product innovation would also circle nutrition and value, acknowledging that the company has fallen short by not providing better benefits for the higher price tags.

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“By standing firm in our plan to protect Ontario workers, we’ve secured nearly $23 million in investments,” Premier Ford said in a statement. “These investments will help keep Ontario workers on the job, strengthen provincial supply chains, and support the local community in Amherstburg and the surrounding area.”

The tensions around the issue were mounting as Premier Ford even threatened to de-shelve Smirnoff products as well. This was met with pressure from political leaders in Quebec and Manitoba who were worried about the implications a ban on Crown Royal would have for the Diageo operations in their provinces.

“We thank Premier Ford and his team for their exceptional leadership and collaboration in reaching this resolution,” Diageo wrote in a statement. “Diageo is pleased that Crown Royal, an iconic Canadian Whisky, will remain on the shelves of the LCBO, and we remain committed to Ontario through our significant investment in the province.”

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