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Ontario's general minimum wage rose to $17.95 an hour; Finance described its proposed Productivity Mega Deduction

Ontario's general minimum wage rose to $17.95 an hour on October 1, 2026; Finance described a proposed deduction; Bill C-38 reached report stage.

Covers September 30, 2026 to October 6, 2026

By Cadence Tax & Accounting

Prepared from the government sources linked below. Sources read October 7, 2026.

What was published

Federal

  • Bill C-38 is reported back to the House of Commons without an amendment

    The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance presented its report on Bill C-38, the Canadian Fuel Affordability Act, without an amendment on October 6, 2026. LEGISinfo lists the bill as at report stage in the House of Commons, with third reading and every Senate stage not reached. The bill's long title is An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (extension of the federal fuel excise tax relief).

    Issued by
    Parliament of Canada
    Published
    Applies to
    Finance's release introducing the bill says extending the relief will help lower everyday costs for Canadians while supporting truckers and businesses in the food, agriculture, housing, construction, delivery, and aviation sectors.

  • Finance describes the proposed Productivity Mega Deduction

    A Department of Finance release describes the Productivity Mega Deduction, which would allow businesses to immediately deduct the full cost of a much broader range of investments. The release says it would increase the amount of assets eligible for immediate expensing from roughly 15% of assets to more than 65%, and that the government is also making immediate expensing permanent. Under the capital cost allowance system, the release explains, the cost of depreciable assets is deducted over time; immediate expensing would allow the full cost of an eligible investment to be deducted in the first year the asset becomes available for use. The measure is proposed: Finance has released draft legislation for it, which is listed under Still in motion below.

    Issued by
    Department of Finance Canada
    Published
    Applies to
    Businesses: the release says the deduction will allow businesses to immediately deduct the full cost of a much broader range of investments.

Ontario

  • Ontario's general minimum wage is $17.95 an hour from October 1, 2026

    Ontario increased its general minimum wage from $17.60 to $17.95 an hour on October 1, 2026. The release ties the increase to the Ontario Consumer Price Index of 1.9 per cent and says the specialized minimum wages for students, homeworkers and hunting and fishing guides are also increasing. It says that under the Employment Standards Act, 2000, Ontario's minimum wage is adjusted each year on October 1 based on the Consumer Price Index.

    Issued by
    Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
    Published
    Takes effect
    Applies to
    The general minimum wage, which the Ministry's guide to the Employment Standards Act says applies to most employees.

Deadlines in the next 30 days

Dates the issuers published that fall within 30 days of this issue. The recurring CRA dates are in the deadline reference.

Still in motion

Bills and proposals that reach owner-managers, and the stage each one had reached when the sources were read.

Canadian Fuel Affordability Act
At report stage in the House of Commons
Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2
At consideration in committee in the House of Commons
Productivity Mega Deduction
Draft legislative proposals released
GST/HST and excise technical amendments
Draft released for consultation
Income Tax Act technical amendments
Draft released for consultation

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