Well, it's official. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a minimum wage hike for the province this morning, confirming reports that have been circulating since Monday evening that workers would be getting a pay bump in the face of rising living costs.

Ford was joined on Tuesday morning by Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance, revealing new legislation that will see the minimum wage increase from the current $14.35 to $15.00 effective January 1, 2022.

"Ontario's workers have been the unsung heroes of this pandemic, as they’ve stocked shelves, kept our supply chain moving and helped so many of us enjoy a meal among family and friends at a local restaurant," said Premier Ford.

"When we asked labour leaders what their priorities were, increasing the minimum wage was at the top of the list. As the cost of living continues to go up, our government is proud to be working for workers, putting more money into their pockets by increasing the minimum wage," continued Ford.

As previously reported, this wage bump will also apply to liquor servers, who had been exempt from the standard minimum wage and have only received $12.55 per hour under the (misguided) belief that tips fill in the difference.

Other special minimum wage rates would also increase for:

• Students under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less when school is in session will see wages rise from $13.50 to $14.10 an hour.

• Homeworker (those who do paid work out of their own homes for employers) wages will jump from $15.80 an hour to $16.50 an hour.

• Hunting and fishing guides' minimum rate of $71.75 for working less than five consecutive hours in a day, and $143.55 for working five or more hours in a day rises from $75 for less than five consecutive hours in a day, and $150.05 for working five or more hours in a day.

"Over the past few weeks, our government has rolled out a historic number of reforms to rebalance the scales. Building on these actions, today, our government is ensuring workers who need our help the most receive their fair share of the economic pie," said Minister McNaughton.

"We will continue to use every tool in our toolbox to help workers in our province find meaningful careers that let them earn themselves bigger paychecks and build better lives for themselves and their loved ones."

Over three-quarters of a million Ontarians will get a wage hike next year thanks to the new legislation, though this is a wage increase most would have had three years ago before Doug Ford pulled the rug from under their feet.

The former Kathleen Wynne Liberal government planned to bring the wage up to $15 in January of 2019, but Doug Ford quickly scrapped these plans once the PCs were elected.