Saturday will see minimum wage in Ontario go up to $11.40 per hour.

The scheduled increase amounts to an extra 15-cents an hour.

North Bay and District Labour Council President Henri Giroux says they have been calling on the Wynne government to raise the general minimum wage to $15 an hour,“That would help the area, because I think people would have more money in their pockets and they would spend more money in stores and buying cars.”

As for the actual increase that’s coming into effect, “she made a mistake by going up 15 cents, should’ve been $15,” Giroux said.

While some businesses have expressed concern about a $15 minimum wage, Giroux says it would all work out because people would spend the extra money in the community.

Labour Minister Kevin Flynn says right now Ontario’s minimum wage is one of the highest in the country and the government will re-examine it in about two years.

Alberta’s NDP government recently announced that the minimum wage in that province would rise to $15 an hour by 2018.

(With files from The Canadian Press)