The cost of making ends meet in northern Ontario continues to climb, with the 2026 living wage now set at $21.35 an hour. That’s an increase of 25 cents from 2025 and puts the living wage $3.40 above Ontario’s current minimum wage of $17.95 an hour. The Ontario Living Wage Network calculates the rate based on the cost of necessities, including housing, groceries, transportation, child care and communication services. But while the calculation is updated annually, getting more employers to commit to paying a living wage remains a challenge. Anne Coleman, executive director of the Ontario Living Wage Network, said there are currently just 13 certified living wage employers in northern Ontario. “So unfortunately, we don’t yet have many certified living wage employers in the north of our province … very few,” said Coleman. Certification program The network’s certification program recognizes employers who commit to paying all their employees at least the applicable regional living wage. Affordability pressures are also reflected in research conducted in 2025 by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Ontario office, in collaboration with the Ontario Living Wage Network. The research found that approximately 40 per cent of racialized workers in Greater Sudbury earned below the living wage. In Thunder Bay, that figure was 35 per cent. In Timmins, economic development officials said competitive wages are an important part of attracting and retaining workers. Noella Rinaldo, director of community economic development with the Timmins Economic Development Corp., said employers who don’t pay competitive wages risk losing valuable employees. “If employers are saying, well, you know, I can’t afford it, they’re just going to have to be prepared that they’re going to be constantly training and retraining because they’re going to lose their employees,” said Rinaldo. Need to address the gap Coleman said the provincial government should do more to address the gap between minimum wage and what workers need to earn. While Ontario has committed to increasing minimum wage annually in line with inflation, Coleman said that approach doesn’t go far enough. “While it’s really great to see that the government has committed to increasing minimum wage by inflation year over year, we know that that’s not quite enough,” said Coleman. “And so it would be great to see them raise that minimum wage for, at the very least, to try and recognize that, and then continue on with annual increases.” Rinaldo said the issue also has implications for Timmins’ long-term economic growth. The city will need to attract and retain workers to support its needs in the next decade and beyond. “We need to be very active in trying to get that employment (needed) for the city to grow in the next 10, 15, 20 years,” she said. Housing remains a significant part of the living wage calculation, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the overall cost of living, according to the Ontario Living Wage Network. The network releases updated living wage calculations each year. More information about the rates and its certified employer program is available on its website.
