Minimum Wage Rate Increase in Ontario 

Circular Note No. XDC-7675 of June 22, 2017

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (Office of Protocol) presents its compliments to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d’affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada, as well as to the Heads of International Organizations and other Special Representative Offices, and has the honour to advise of a change to the minimum wage in Ontario.

Effective October 1, 2017, the minimum hourly wage for work performed in Ontario will increase to eleven dollars and sixty cents an hour ($11.60/hour). The Department notes that the minimum wage is currently $11.40 in Ontario and $11.25 in Quebec. The minimum wage and its scheduled increases in those provinces and others are posted by the Government of Canada.

The Department would like to take this opportunity to remind Diplomatic Missions of the requirement to comply with prevailing provincial labour standards with respect to the treatment of domestic workers employed under the Domestic Worker Accreditation Program, and pay them the provincial minimum wage.

Further, in accordance with Canadian policy, the Department considers that it is the “joint responsibility of the head of mission and individual employers to ensure compliance with the provisions of the accreditation program and the minimum provincial labour standards applicable to the domestic workers’ working conditions.” In that regard, the Department’s Office of Protocol may, at any time, undertake policy compliancy checks.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (Office of Protocol) presents its compliments to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d’affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada, as well as to the Heads of International Organizations and other Special Representative Offices the assurances of its highest consideration.

OTTAWA, June 22, 2017