Alberta to have the lowest minimum wage in Canada as of Oct. 1 as NDP calls for boost

Alberta will have the lowest minimum wage in the country on Oct. 1, prompting the NDP and others to call for the first increase since 2018. But as Sean Amato reports, Naheed Nenshi will not say how much it should be.

By The Canadian Press

Posted September 22, 2025 2:26 pm.

Last Updated September 22, 2025 6:43 pm.

The province of Alberta, once a national leader in minimum wage, is set to soon have the lowest such pay rate in Canada.

The current rate of $15 an hour was set in 2018 by then-premier Rachel Notley’s NDP government, making it the highest minimum wage in Canada.

But Alberta has not adjusted the rate since while other provinces have boosted theirs.

On Oct. 1, Saskatchewan is set to increase its minimum wage to $15.35 an hour from $15, a move that will officially make Alberta’s rate the lowest in Canada.

Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says Albertans coping with high costs need help.

Nenshi urged Smith’s United Conservative government to boost the minimum wage and index it to inflation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2025.

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