Ontario's minimum wage increase officially comes into effect today.

The increase means all workers across the province who make minimum wage will now earn $14.35 an hour instead of $14.25, representing a rise of just 10 cents an hour.

Several other wages have also increased slightly as of today: student wages have gone from $13.40 to $13.50, liquor servers' wages have gone from $12.45 to $12.55 and homeworkers from $15.70 to $15.80.

Hunting, fishing, and wilderness guides are also benefitting from the planned increase, with their hourly wage rising from $71.30 to $71.75.

The hardest I’ve ever worked in my life was when I worked for minimum wage. These folks need at least a 50% increase to survive in Ontario https://t.co/vSwOQPBfPP

— matteo (@matteotee) September 27, 2021

Though the increases are slight, and though the new minimum wage by no means represents a living wage in Toronto, any progress is good progress — especially considering wages didn't rise at all in 2019.

Ontario's minimum wage last rose exactly one year ago, increasing from $14 to $14.25 in 2020.

The wage increased more drastically, from $11.60 to $14, in 2018 — right before Premier Doug Ford came into power. 

The previous provincial government had introduced a plan to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2019, but Ford rolled back the plan and introduced a wage freeze shortly after becoming premier.