The pros and cons of a rising minimum wage are hitting the Pembina Valley business sector.

Winkler Chamber of Commerce President Kori da Costa says many local business owners offer minimum wage positions.

"The cost of business is going up," da Costa says. "Sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow."

At the same time, da Costa says there are many positives as well, from keeping up with the cost of living, attracting more workers to the area. She notes Manitoba has one of the lowest minimum wages in Canada.

"Hopefully it draws people to Manitoba to come back and work, rather than educating our kids and sending them out of province," she says.

The Provincial government will raise the minimum wage October 1, from $11.15 to $11.35 per hour. The adjustment is based on Manitoba's 2017 inflation rate of 1.6 percent, and rounding up to the nearest five cents.

Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen made the announcement earlier this month.

"Our commitment is to provide sustainable and predictable increases to Manitoba’s minimum wage," said Pedersen. "Last year we passed legislation to index minimum wage with the rate of inflation through a fully transparent formula. We are improving wages for working Manitobans and providing predictability for businesses that create jobs and generate growth in our economy."