The province started implementing annual increases early in 2003, raising the general minimum wage from $6.85 in 2004 to $9.50 in 2009.

The government says phasing in these increases balances the needs of residents with the needs of small businesses that create jobs.

Increasing the minimum wage is part of Breaking the Cycle: Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy which will reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over five years - lifting 90,000 kids out of poverty - by boosting benefits for low-income families and enhancing publicly-funded education.