Canadian professor turned conservative media personality Jordan Peterson is returning to the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
The arena announced Tuesday that Peterson is bringing his “We Who Wrestle with God” Tour to the nation’s capital on March 5, 2025.
Peterson, a University of Toronto professor emeritus, rose to national prominence in 2016 for speaking out against Bill C-16, which banned discrimination based on gender identity. His book “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos” was published in 2018 and has sold millions of copies. His follow-up “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life” was released in 2021.
In early 2023, Peterson held an event at the Canadian Tire Centre promoting his second book. The event drew criticism from Somerset Ward Coun. Ariel Troster and several community groups, with calls to cancel it, though it proceeded as planned.
Peterson made headlines over the summer when the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear his case against the College of Psychologists of Ontario, which had ordered him to take a remedial coaching program following social media posts the professional body deemed unprofessional. Comments included referring to former Ottawa city councillor Catherine McKenney, who is trans/nonbinary, as an “appalling self-righteous moralizing thing”, saying transgender actor Elliot Page’s breasts were “removed by a criminal physician” and replying to a post about overpopulation by saying, “You’re free to leave at any point,” a comment interpreted as encouraging suicide. Peterson has not had an active clinical practice since 2017 but remains a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged, while speaking under oath at the public inquiry into foreign interference, that Russian state-controlled TV network Russia Today is funding Peterson. Trudeau did not provide evidence for the claim. Peterson denies the claim and told the National Post, where he is a regular contributor, that he is considering legal action against Trudeau.
“We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine” is Peterson’s latest book and is expected to be released later this year. His tour will visit dozens of locations in the U.S. and Canada between November 2024 and April 2025.