B.C.'s minimum wage is set to become the highest among Canada's provinces on June 1.
Only the Yukon Territory will be higher, although only by two cents.
The boost will increase minimum wage from $15.65 to $16.75 an hour.
The 6.9% increase, set to take effect Thursday, will give a lift to approximately 150,000 workers.
Meanwhile, piece rates for hand-harvesting of the 15 crops will increase by the same percentage on Jan. 1.
The provincial government says the wage hike provides "certainty for workers and predictability for businesses."
Further options are being developed to continue linking minimum wage to inflation in future years, the province said in a press release.
Only Alberta and Nunavut are not increasing the minimum wage this year.
Minimum wages across the country (figures from Statistics Canada):
- Yukon $16.77
- B.C. $16.75
- Federal $16.65
- Nunavut $16
- Ontario $15.50
- Quebec $15.25
- N.W.T. $15.20
- Alberta $15
- New Brunswick $14.75
- P.E.I. $14.50
- Newfoundland $14.50
- Nova Scotia $14.50
- Manitoba $14.15
- Saskatchewan $13
