Five stories in the news today, March 21

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ONTARIO TO PUSH FOR NEW YORK BUY AMERICAN EXEMPTION

Two Ontario cabinet ministers are heading to New York state to urge legislators to exempt Canada from a Buy American policy it plans to introduce. Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid and International Trade Minister Michael Chan are meeting with officials today in the capital Albany. They say they’ll focus not on the potential impacts to Canada’s economy, but on New York’s own “self interest.”

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EU CHIEF BLASTS TRUMP, PRAISES CANADA

The European Union’s trade chief is in Ottawa today to meet with Canada’s trade and foreign ministers. Yesterday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told a crowd in Toronto that Canada is a key partner against the job-killing, anti-trade sentiment coming from the Trump administration in Washington. She also visited several Canadian businesses she said would benefit from the Canada-EU free trade agreement.

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ALBERTA CONSERVATIVES WORK ON POSSIBLE UNITY DEAL

Members of Alberta’s two right-leaning political parties are taking baby steps toward joining forces. Newly elected Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney met with his Wildrose counterpart, Brian Jean, on Monday. Kenney emerged from the meeting saying the two “hope to have that team in place by the end of this week” to discuss a merger. Jean did not speak with reporters after the meeting.

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ALBERTA URGED TO PROCLAIM INDOOR TANNING LAW

The Canadian Cancer Society is urging the Alberta government to finally enact legislation to ban young people from using indoor tanning beds. The Skin Cancer Prevention (Artificial Tanning) Act was passed by the legislature in March 2015, but has not been put into force. Society spokeswoman Evie Eshpeter said the two-year delay is putting young people at risk of developing skin cancer, including potentially deadly melanoma.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Statistics Canada releases retail trade figures for January and human activity and the environment: freshwater in Canada, 1971 to 2013.

— Prominent environmental groups in Ottawa outline expectations for environmental assessment reform.

— A sex-assault trial continues in Saint-Jerome, Que., for former ski coach Bertrand Charest.

— Sunwing Airlines pilot Miroslav Gronych to enter a plea on charges including having care and control of an aircraft while impaired.

— Coroner’s inquest into the death of Naverone Woods, who was shot and killed by transit police in Surrey in 2014.

— An Ontario court will be hearing the case for the certification of a class action lawsuit filed by the Canadian Hockey League Players Association against team owners for violating the players’ right to a legal wage.

— Hot Docs announces its 2017 lineup in Toronto.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Five stories in the news today, March 21

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