Avril Lavigne sets Canadian dates on ‘greatest hits’ tour

Free Press columnist transforms into killer clown for escape-room adventure

‘Would you ever try being a killer clown?”

This question came to me from my friend Lisa McMillan who, with her husband Chris, owns Killer Noob Escapes on Century Street. The escape rooms at KNE are immersive and narrative-driven and, oh yeah, horror-themed.

This seems like a good time to mention I don’t do horror. I hate clowns — who doesn’t? — and I don’t like being startled. I don’t visit haunted houses, mostly for the safety of others. My fight-or-flight reflex sometimes skews more fight, and I worry I’m a Fear Puncher.

But being on the other side of things? That, maybe, I could do. So I accepted Lisa’s challenge.

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.

Prime minister’s Thanksgiving message addresses Alberta separation referendum

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney focused his Thanksgiving Day message on Alberta’s upcoming separation referendum, saying Canada is "worth fighting for."

"This year, Thanksgiving is a bit different," he said in the video message. "A week from today, Albertans will have the opportunity to make an important decision about their future: whether to remain part of Canada or begin a long and uncertain process through which Alberta could separate from Canada."

Albertans will vote on Oct. 19 on whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding separation referendum.

In the video posted Monday and filmed in his old high school in Edmonton, Carney noted he grew up in Alberta.

Comparing the Iran and Vietnam Wars

The other day I asked my students in U.S. foreign policy to think about the relevance of the Vietnam War in relation to the ongoing war in Iran. More specifically, I wanted them to identify the similarities and differences between the two wars.

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.