Local author’s book wins Governor General’s award

Riding the Unity Bus to rally support for Canada in Alberta

WAINWRIGHT, Alta. — The Unity Bus arrives right on time, pulling into a parking lot on the edge of this town of about 6,600 people close to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. As the vehicle slows to a halt, resplendent in its patriotic red-and-white paint, a small group of supporters stand waiting, decked in their own maple leaf garb.

The Unity Bus’s doors open and former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk bounds to the ground. The supporters, volunteers with Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian campaign, welcome him with applause; he greets them with open arms. He knows many by name, having been to Wainwright four times; some of them fondly call him “the boss.”

“Do you need some stickers?” he asks. “Do you need some swag to give away?”

It’s a chilly Thanksgiving Monday morning on the eastern edge of Alberta. A sharp wind nips at exposed skin and drab grey clouds hang low in the sky. Such weather does not encourage high spirits, but Lukaszuk and these volunteers can’t afford to let theirs falter: in just one week, on Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on a historic question on whether to remain in Canada.

What's open, what's closed, what's up on Thanksgiving

Here's a round-up of things to do and hours of business for services on Thanksgiving Day 2026.

‘People count on this place’: Pembina Hwy. Giant Tiger latest location slated to close

Another Giant Tiger store in Winnipeg will shutter next year, leaving some area residents concerned about a lack of affordable groceries in the neighbourhood.

Red papers taped to the front doors of the Canadian retail chain’s location at Pembina Highway and Southpark Drive indicate it will close Feb. 27.

Doreen Yanchuk, a self-described bargain hunter, shook her head when she saw the signs Monday. The 67-year-old said she’s a regular customer at the location because it’s a five-minute drive from her home.

“They have very good sales here, which draws people to the shop because everything is expensive,” Yanchuk said.

Carney: Trump’s ‘energy ceasefire’ could ‘de-escalate’ war in Ukraine

OTTAWA - Mark Carney thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for “his leadership toward securing an energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, the Prime Minister's Office said on Sunday.

But on the same day, Carney also expressed to Ukraine's leader that Trump's new diesel supply agreement with Russia undermines Canada's efforts to end the war in Europe.

Trump posted on his Truth Social account on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to an "energy ceasefire," but did not immediately offer any details.

Carney expressed “strong support for this agreement," according to a readout from the PMO that followed a conversation between the two leaders. And on his own social media account, Carney offered that Trump’s newly announced “energy ceasefire” could help wind down Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Hurricane Simon pounds resorts and vulnerable towns along Mexico’s Pacific coast

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Simon pounded Mexico’s Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm on Sunday, its eye remaining just offshore as its most powerful winds and rain slammed people living between the Sierra Madre and the ocean.

The hurricane's center swirled parallel to the coast, closing in on the Puerto Vallarta area, where its most damaging winds and rain were expected to hit around midnight and continue through Monday morning. Its maximum sustained winds weakened late Sunday to 115 mph (185 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, but it was still expected to remain a dangerous hurricane.

That’s not good news for people in and around Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination in the state of Jalisco. Just inland and uphill from the resort areas, many Mexicans live in communities where housing might not stand up to the storm.

By late Sunday, Simon's eye was moving northwest about 45 miles (75 kilometers) south of Cabo Corrientes at about 5 mph (7 kph). A senior hurricane center specialist, Philippe Papin, said this westernmost tip of mainland Mexico is the area most likely to get a direct hit from the system. Cabo Corrientes is at the southern tip of Bahia de Banderas, the wide bay where Puerto Vallarta looks out to the Pacific.

Former Oilers teammates square off for first time

Calvin Pickard has been many things to Stuart Skinner.

An ally, sounding board, confidante and most importantly, a close friend.

They were a goalie tandem for parts of three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, making two trips to the Stanley Cup final, combining for 29 playoff wins, but falling just short of achieving the ultimate goal on both of those occasions.

They were opponents just once last season when the Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins met for the first time since the trade that shipped Skinner to Pennsylvania, but it was Tristan Jarry – the guy he was traded for – standing at the opposite side of the rink.