The Butchart Gardens is preemptively raising their starting wage to $15 dollars an hour, up from $12.18.
Director of Human Resources Jeannie Christison says they're announcing the move ahead of a job fair. "We want to be out in front. The government has certainly been talking about it. We think it's probably coming, maybe not until 2021 but it is coming and we just wanted to get out ahead of it."
She also says the current tight labour market in Victoria plays a factor, "It's a recruiting tool but it's also a retention tool."
Many employees at the gardens are seasonal and Christison says they need to keep employees coming back, rather than looking elsewhere.
The Butchart Gardens is holding an on site job fair February 20th.