Belleville’s downtown businesses are expected to take steps to minimize the effect on their bottom line by the Ontario government’s minimum wage hike, which took effect on Monday.
The legislation increases the minimum wage by more than 20% to $14 an hour.
Chair of the Downtown Business Improvement Area Dwane Barrett says a number of food and retail businesses in the downtown are affected.
Barrett says most employees were paid in the $12 range before the change.
Some businesses across the province indicated there would be an increase in prices as a result of the wage hike.
