The 75-cent hike is the last stage of a three-stage increase announced by Premier Christy Clark after she was sworn in March of 2011.
The wage had been frozen at $8 for nearly a decade prior to the increase. Former premier Gordon Campbell had opposed raising the wage, saying it would cost the province thousands of jobs.
Clark said in her original announcement that raising the wage in three 75-cent increments between May 2011 and May 2012 would help businesses cope with the change.
The minimum wage for workers who serve liquor was raised to $9 in May 2011 and has stayed at that level. Tips are presumed to help make their total earnings higher.
The highest minimum wage in Canada is $11 in Nunavut. The lowest general minimum wage in Canada is in the Yukon, at $9.27.
General minimum wage by province
| Alberta | $9.40 |
| British Columbia | $10.25 |
| Manitoba | $10.00 |
| New Brunswick | $10.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $10.00 |
| Northwest Territories | $10.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $10.15 ($9.65 for inexperienced workers) |
| Nunavut | $11 |
| Ontario | $10.25 ($9.60 student minimum) |
| P.E.I. | $10 |
| Quebec | $9.90 |
| Saskatchewan | $9.50 |
| Yukon | $9.27 |
In related news I just got a raise :/
