Manitoba was among five provinces that increased their minimum wage Wednesday, all tied to Canada’s steadily growing consumer price index.

Manitoba’s minimum wage increased by 20 cents to $16 per hour. It is updated annually Oct. 1 and regulated through the Employment Standards Code. The adjustment reflects Manitoba’s 2024 inflation rate of 1.1 per cent, rounded up to the nearest five cents.

Despite the annual move being tabbed as supporting workers amid affordability issues, the news drew mixed reactions.

“Raising the minimum wage by just 20 cents this year will leave workers falling behind the cost of living,” said Niall Harney with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (Manitoba).

The Manitoba LGBT* Chamber of Commerce has been renamed the Manitoba Queer Chamber of Commerce Inc.

The renaming followed research, consultation and discussion, all of which indicated the LGBTTQ+ business community was ready for a change, per a news release from the chamber.

In the release, executive director Jenny Steinke-Magnus noted that the word “queer” has gained traction in recent years to describe the LGBTTQ+ community as a whole.

“Many members were already starting to call us ‘the queer chamber,’” chamber president Kerry Porter said in the release. “Given this reality, and the fact that we are undertaking a rebrand and website update this year, we felt that this was the right time to explore an update to our name.”

Following a tepid 2024, Manitobans can expect more of the same for the provincial economy as 2025 winds down, according to Deloitte.

In its latest forecast, released on Monday, the professional services firm predicted a 1.0 per cent increase in Manitoba’s gross domestic product. Nationally, the firm expects a 1.3 per cent gain in 2025.

Uncertainty continues to hold back economic performance across the country as investors and consumers wait for clarity on trade and the federal government’s fiscal plan.

In an interview with the Free Press, Dawn Desjardins, chief economist at Deloitte Canada, said that Manitoba faces the same economic pressures as other Canadian provinces and territories, including a sharp slowing in immigration that resulted in negligible population growth in the second quarter.