Ottawa Valley small businesses may have to increase prices to cover minimum wage increase [Video]

Consumers in the Ottawa Valley may start to notice their every day expenses have gone up in price this month, as the province’s minimum wage increases.

As of Oct. 1, Ontario’s minimum wage is $17.20 an hour, up $0.65.

To cover that new expense, it has movie theatre owner Kevin Marshall considering raising his concession prices.

“At some point we just have to up our rates,” says the owner of O’Brien Theatre in Arnprior.

“Whether that’s 25 cents for our small popcorn, that would more than cover the cost of 65 cents per hour.”

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The theatre employees five students, all of whom are earning minimum wage.

“Last year at this time, snack bar prices went up and that was to cover the dollar raise that everybody got last year,” says Marshall.

The bump to minimum …