No matter how destructive you think Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s idea was to increase the province’s minimum wage law a whopping amount, a couple of Tim Hortons’ franchisees and the franchisor played it wrong. In the end, with the help of the business-hating media, Wynne has emerged the winner in the battle over whether the increase in the minimum wage is good or bad. Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, took effect on Jan. 1 (You know a law can’t be good when it contains the word “fair.”) Among its provisions, the provinces minimum wage increased from $1l.60 an hour to $14. Under the legislation the minimum wage is set to increase again to $15 an hour in January 2019. Although businesses should and do expect minimum wages to increase as other prices do, the 2018 increase represents a 23% increase in low wage levels. As employers have to contribute to the employees Canada pension and Employment insurance payments, the cost to these employers will be more than just the $2.40 increase in the hourly wage.

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