Federal minimum wage, taxes on alcohol: Here's what's changing in Canada April 1
Several major changes that could impact your wallet are on their way, some of which take effect April 1.
The federal minimum wage is set to increase by $1.10—from $15.55 per hour to $16.65—and you may end up paying more for gas and alcohol as of Saturday.
MINIMUM WAGE
The minimum wage increase is meant to keep up with inflation and is based on the consumer price index, which rose 6.8 per cent last year, according to the federal government.
This wage increase only applies to federally-regulated private sectors such as banks, postal and courier services and interprovincial air, rail, road, and marine transportation. The government says the increase will help around 26,000 Canadian workers make life more affordable.
If the minimum wage is higher in the province or territory you live in, your employer must pay the higher amount.
Here are the provinces and territories where the minimum wage is set to increase on April 1:
- Manitoba: $13.50 to $14.15
- New Brunswick: $13.75 to $14.75
- Newfoundland and Labrador: $13.70 to $14.50
- Nova Scotia: $13.60 to $14.50
- Yukon: $15.70 to $16.77
To learn more about minimum wage in Canada, visit the government’s website.
ALCOHOL TAX
The excise tax on alcohol was set to increase by 6.3 per cent April 1, which would have been the largest hike in more than 40 years. However, the feds instead temporarily capped it at two per cent after outcry from microbrewers and distillers.
The temporary cap will only remain in effect for a fiscal year, but it’s still a major win for those in the industry, according to Beer Canada president CJ Hélie.
The federal alcohol tax raises automatically based on inflation each year, which is why the planned increase was so high at 6.3 per cent. It is separate from provincial fees and sales taxes.
The government expects to collect $100 million from the excise tax in the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to federal documents.
CARBON PRICE
Expect to pay more at the pumps when you fill up your vehicle starting Saturday, as the federal government’s carbon pricing increases from $50 per tonne to $65 per tonne. The Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation says that change will amount to 14.31 cents per litre of gas, up from 11.05 cents per litre.
B.C. NATURAL GAS PRICES
People living in British Columbia will soon see a break on their natural gas bill starting April 1.
After getting approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), FortisBC is lowering the amount it charges for natural gas.
FortisBC will charge $4.159 per gigajoule for gas, $1 less than its previous rate of $5.159. The price will remain in effect until June 30.
FortisBC changes what it charges for natural gas every fiscal quarter (with BCUC approval) to reflect the cost of acquiring natural gas at market-based prices.
People in the Lower Mainland will save about $7.50 every month on their bill on average, or about seven per cent, according to FortisBC estimates. In northeast B.C. around Fort Nelson, people could save an average of $10.40.
Correction
A previous version of this story stated an Ontario recycling program implementing fees on certain beverage containers would begin on April 1. The Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association announced earlier in March that it was changing its launch date in Ontario from April 1 to June 1, 2023. The story has removed mention of the recycling program to reflect this.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Here's how major cities in Canada and the U.S. look blanketed by wildfire smoke
Photos show smoke-filled skies in cities across Canada and the U.S. as air quality warnings were issued in wake of the hundreds of wildfires from Quebec and Ontario.

WATCH | Rate hike 'may be the last straw' for some homeowners: mortgage broker
With the latest hike bringing Canada's key interest rates to levels not seen since 2001, one mortgage broker is warning that it may be 'the last straw' for some homeowners with variable mortgages.
'Very, very hard to breathe': Experts call wildfires a 'major public health concern' for Canada
As forest fires rage across the country, experts are sounding the alarm over the physical and psychological impacts of the wildfires and saying that they pose a serious public health issue, which individuals and governments need to acknowledge and act upon.
Canadians more likely to support foreign interference inquiry than hearings: Nanos
Canadians are twice as likely to support a formal inquiry into foreign interference, as opposed to public hearings, according to new polling from Nanos Research for CTV News.
opinion | Eight takeaways from Prince Harry's seven hours on the witness stand
It's been a busy, tumultuous few days for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex as he took his place on the witness stand in his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers. Here are royal commentator Afua Hagan's top takeaways from his two-day grilling.
Calgary mass killer Matthew de Grood seeks 'absolute discharge'
The man who was found not criminally responsible in the stabbing deaths of five people at a house party in Brentwood more than nine years ago is seeking more freedoms.
Trudeau shows no interest in compromising with Meta, Google over online news bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over a Liberal bill that would make them pay for Canadian journalism that helps the companies generate revenue.
Bisexual women 3 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to straight women: Canadian study
In the first study of its kind to tie survey data to health records, researchers found that bisexual women were three times more likely to attempt suicide compared to heterosexual women.
Bank of Canada ends pause on hikes, raises policy rate by 25 basis points
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January.
W5 HIGHLIGHTS
W5 Investigates | What's driving limb-lengthening surgery -- a radical procedure making men taller
A growing number of men are undergoing a radical surgery to become taller. CTV W5 goes inside the lucrative world of limb-lengthening surgery.

Shrinking coastlines: Will more Canadians have to move because of climate change?
Post tropical storm Fiona showed how quickly Canadians can be displaced by climate change. W5 looks into whether more people living in vulnerable areas will have to consider moving in the years to come.

W5 EXCLUSIVE | Interviewing a narco hitman: my journey into Mexico's cartel heartland
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels.

W5 Investigates | Daniel Jolivet insists he's not a murderer and says he has proof
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars.
I met the 'World's Tallest Teenager' and his basketball career is just taking off
W5 Producer Shelley Ayres explains how she was in awe to meet what the Guinness Book of World Record's has named the World's Tallest Teenager, a 17-year-old from Quebec who plays for Team Canada.
W5 Investigates | Pivot Airlines crew seeking justice after 'cocaine cargo' detainment
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
W5 profile | This Canadian helped write some of Carrie Underwood's biggest hits – here's how he does it
Gordie Sampson has written hit songs for some of the biggest names in country music, including Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. CTV W5 speaks with the Grammy winner from small-town Nova Scotia about his creative process.
W5 EXCLUSIVE | W5 exposes the drug connections and money trail in the Pivot Airlines story
On CTVNews.ca, W5 exposes the suspicious company chartering a Pivot Airlines flight that ended up with 210 kilograms of cocaine onboard.