Five stories in the news today, March 3

Five stories in the news today, March 3, from The Canadian Press:

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WALL PROMISES ‘CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE’ AT FIRST MINISTERS’ MEETING

Brad Wall says Saskatchewan will play a “constructive role” when the premiers sit down today in Vancouver with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss climate change policies. The first ministers’ meeting has taken on a fractious atmosphere this week amid squabbling over who was invited to the table, pipeline politics and a dispute over carbon pricing.

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POLL: BIG REGIONAL DIVIDES ON ENERGY EAST

A new online poll by the Angus Reid Institute suggests 64 per cent of Canadians support the Energy East pipeline, but there are stark differences when the numbers are broken out by region. The proposal to ship Alberta crude to Atlantic Canada had the strongest backing in Alberta and Saskatchewan — 87 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively.

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ABORIGINAL PEOPLES WANT SAY IN CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

Indigenous leaders have told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers that they want a role in developing climate change policy. “It’s like we’re standing at the doorway,” said Clement Chartier of the Metis National Council. “What happens next, we’ll get to see. It’s always good words, this government right now is offering us an opportunity to sit at the table. We’ll see in the action what happens next.

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LUXURY HOME SALES REPORT EYES TORONTO, VANCOUVER

A new report says Toronto and Vancouver will continue to lead luxury home sales in Canada this spring in both volume and price, and mostly for the same reasons they dominated last year. Sotheby’s International Realty Canada cites macro-economic trends, including limited inventory and both domestic and international demand in making its prediction.

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LOBLAW EXPANDS UGLY FRUIT, VEGETABLE LINE

Ugly food can mean a pretty profit. At least, that’s the bet Loblaw is making with its ugly duckling line of produce aimed at shoppers looking to save money on the sky-rocketing cost of fresh food. The company launched its Naturally Imperfect line last March in Ontario and Quebec and plans to expand the sale of cheaper, but blemished and misshapen, produce across the country.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Aboriginal Chiefs will hold a briefing in Ottawa on the proposed Algonquins of Ontario Agreement.

— The Iroquois caucus holds a news conference in Ottawa to outline its opposition to a Land Claim Agreement in Principle.

— Companies reporting quarterly results today include SNC-Lavalin Group, George Weston Ltd. and Canadian Natural Resources.

— The Canadian Club of Toronto hosts a panel discussion on Women Entrepreneurs.

— Michael Sabia, president and CEO of Quebec’s largest pension fund, speaks to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.