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By Chris DeCock

Every year at about this time, my company brings a bright new group of young people into the Hudsons Tap House family — as many as 200 for our summer season.

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For many, it’s their very first job. It’s great to see them learn new skills and grow in confidence as the weeks go by. A lot of them are here to earn money for college or university, but many others are here to build a career in hospitality. As their skills and experience increase, so does their hourly wage.

I’m proud of the jobs and opportunities we provide. All told, we employ 700 Albertans at our eight restaurants. And then there are all the local suppliers — from architects to food suppliers — who also have a stake in our success.

The new provincial government’s pledge to increase the minimum wage by nearly 50 per cent to $15 an hour (a 63 per cent increase if the liquor-server wage is eliminated) is forcing a complete rethink of our hiring and expansion plans.