Federal Minimum Hourly Wage

Act: Canada Labour Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. L-2, s. 178
Regulation: Not applicable.

To Whom Does This Apply?

Employers and employees involved in federal works, undertakings and businesses are covered by the Canada Labour Code.

These are businesses and organizations whose main activities include:

• railways, road transport, ferries, canals, tunnels, and bridges that extend beyond the border of a province or Canada;
• air transport, aircraft operations, and aerodromes;
• shipping and shipping services;
• telephone, telegraph, and cable systems;
• radio and television broadcasting;
• banks;
• pipelines;
• most grain elevators; flour and seed mill, feed warehouses and grain-seed cleaning plants;
• uranium mining and processing; and
• most federal Crown corporations, such as Canada Post Corporation and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Note: If you are employed in or operate an undertaking other than described above, please contact your provincial or territorial labour department for information relating to labour standards.

Summary

The Canada Labour Code governs, among other items, wages in federal works, undertakings and businesses.

The minimum wage is a basic labour standard that sets the lowest wage rate that an employer can pay to employees who are covered by the legislation. The minimum wage rate applicable to employees under federal jurisdiction is the general adult minimum rate of the province or territory where the employee is usually employed.

Jurisdiction	Federal Minimum Wage Rate
Alberta	$8.00
British Columbia	$8.00
Manitoba	$8.00
New Brunswick	$7.25
Newfoundland	$7.50 (April 1, 2008: $8.00)
Northwest Territories	$8.25
Nova Scotia	$7.60
Nunavut	$8.50
Ontario	$8.00  (March 31, 2008:  $8.75, March 31, 2009:  $9.50, March 31, 2010:  $10.25)
Prince Edward Island	$7.50
Quebec	$8.00
Saskatchewan	$7.95 (Jan. 1, 2008:  $8.25, May 1, 2008: $9.25, May  1, 2009: $9.25)
Yukon Territory	$8.37 (Effective April 1, 2008, and on April 1 of each subsequent year, this rate will increase by an amount corresponding to the annual increase for the preceding year in the Consumer Price Index for the city of Whitehorse.)

 

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.

Quebec Contact(s):
Montreal District Office
Labour Program
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
3rd Floor
715 Peel Street
Montréal, Quebec  H3C 3H6
Fax: 514-283-5748
Toll-free (information): 1-800-641-4049
Web site: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml

Quebec District Office
Labour Program
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Suite 190
2327 du Versant Boulevard North
P.O. Box 10800
Sainte-Foy, Quebec  G1V 5B4
Fax: 418-649-6115
Toll-free (information): 1-800-641-4049
Web site: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml

National Contact(s):
See regional contact(s).