Timmins community reacts to 2022's living wage increase
Every year, Living Wage Ontario calculates what people need to earn to pay for things like shelter, food, transportation and clothing.
The living wage for Timmins and other cities like Sudbury and Sault Ste. Mare is now $19.70 an hour.
Local economic officials said this is the first year, Timmins has had a living wage calculated for the community. They said this helps them understand what workers need to get by.
“Working minimum wage, you have people working two or three jobs just to be able to support themselves to be able to stay at that level of poverty,” said Trisha Turner, the executive director of the Cochrane District Social Planning Council.
“But with (a) living wage, it actually includes a certain amount of savings so that they can work their way up."
Noella Rinaldo, the director of community economic development for the Timmins Economic Development (TEDC) Corporation to CTV News she thinks it is a really great tool to be able to attract employees.
“If you’re able to say I’m a living wage employer ... I think that’s a really great point for employees to look at as the possibility of working somewhere.”
The living wage breakdown for Timmins suggests:
- rent is $13,130.00/year for a one bedroom apartment (including insurance and utilities)
- food is 15.9 per cent of income
- Internet, cell phones, medical and clothing expenses together total are 33 per cent of income
- transportation is 14 per cent of income
- child care is 5.2 per cent of income
The Ontario Living Wage Network calls on the province to help.
“The laws that govern the rentals and rental process, you know this is squarely on the province; they can bring in stronger rent controls, make more affordable rent-control housing," said the network’s communications coordinator, Craig Pickthorne.
Downtown Timmins officials agree and said small businesses will be challenged if they have to pay their employees more.
“The federal government can look at deregulating CRTC so Internet costs and cell phone costs can become more reasonable," said Cindy Campbell, the executive director of the Downtown Timmins BIA.
"I think we can look at subsidies for farmers that’ll bring the cost of food down; trucking companies-gas subsidies,” she added.
Employers are not obligated to pay a living wage, but if they choose to do so, they can be certified that they are a living wage employer and advertise that as a way to attract workers.
The full report from the Ontario Living Wage Network can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE @ 1:15 PT B.C. premier to give announcement related to public drug use
B.C.'s premier is scheduled to give an update Friday about public drug use in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.