Wiarton Willie has predicted an early spring after he didn’t see his shadow on Sunday morning on Groundhog Day.
Willie made the prediction to chants of “get up, Willie” at 8:09 a.m. on Sunday morning in Bluewater Park in Wiarton, Ont., situated 220 kilometres northwest of Toronto.
However his prediction would not match these of different weather-prognosticating animals:
Shubenacadie Sam who lives on the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia noticed his shadow, predicting six extra weeks of winter. Lucy the Lobster in Barrington, N.S., noticed her shadow and predicted six extra weeks of winter. Fred la marmotte in Quebec predicted six extra weeks of winter. Van Isle Violet in Nanaimo, B.C., predicted six extra weeks of winter. Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania additionally predicted six extra weeks of winter. Wiarton Willie is seen inside his enclosure in Wiarton, Ont., on August 17, 2024. The enclosure close to the library was created with the assistance of the Toronto Zoo. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Wiarton, Ont., is a city of about 1,900 folks situated on the Bruce Peninsula. Yearly, it holds an annual pageant that kicks off with a pancake breakfast and fireworks at 7 a.m. It additionally celebrates with a weekend-long occasion that included skating with the Owen Sound Assault hockey staff, a curling bonspiel, a chili cook-off, skating, a darts event and extra.
This yr’s pageant went on regardless of the area seeing a considerable amount of snow over the previous week.
Revellers show indicators whereas ready for Shubenacadie Sam to emerge from her burrow at a Groundhog Day occasion on the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia on Sunday. Sam noticed her shadow and predicts six extra weeks of winter. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)
City of South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Jay Kirkland mentioned the roads are clear after the “quaint snow occasion” the skilled this week and so they have been prepared for folks to drive into city for the principle occasion Sunday morning.
“I put the oath of workplace on my neck and that enables me to have the ability to speak to the groundhog and hopefully we hear that it is an early spring this yr,” Kirkland advised CBC Kitchener-Waterloo’s The Morning Version with host Craig Norris on Friday.
“We’ll preserve our fingers crossed, however we nonetheless must let Willie determine,” Kirkland added, saying he did not need to guess whether or not or not Willie would see his shadow. “I am not the climate man. I simply helped run the city.”
Historical past of Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day was first marked within the U.S. with a prediction by Punxsutawney Phil in 1886, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Membership’s web site reviews. The primary official trek to Gobbler’s Knob was made on Feb. 2, 1887.
Punxsutawney Phil is probably the world’s best-known groundhog — he is been predicting the climate the longest and he is featured within the film Groundhog Day starring Invoice Murray.
Groundhog Membership handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the climate prognosticating groundhog, throughout the 139th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Sunday. Phil’s handlers mentioned that the groundhog has forecast six extra weeks of winter. (Barry Reeger/The Related Press)
The Groundhog Day custom in Wiarton dates again to 1956. The City of South Bruce Peninsula says it was began by a “spirited particular person” named Mac McKenzie that had “a want to shake off the winter blues and produce some heat to the group.”
The municipality’s web site says McKenzie invited associates out for an evening in town to mark Groundhog Day and despatched out a joke information launch forward of it, which was picked up by a Ontario Chronicle reporter who arrived on the town to report on the occasion.
“In a second of caprice and spontaneity, when requested in regards to the whereabouts of the groundhog, Mac playfully tossed a fur hat into the snow,” the city’s web site says.
“Seizing the chance for a memorable photograph, the reporter immortalized the hat as a stand-in for the elusive groundhog.”
There was controversy with Willie previously, although. In 1999, the groundhog was discovered deceased simply days earlier than he was speculated to hit the stage for his prediction. A funeral was held however a unique physique was used as a result of the groundhog had died weeks earlier and the physique wasn’t match to be on show.
In 2003, there have been requires Willie’s caretaker to be fired after it was discovered she had lined up the deaths of two fill-in groundhogs that might have inherited the title of Willie had the present one died. The 2 understudies had been dwelling in the identical den as Willie. Groundhogs are instinctively territorial, resulting in suspicions that Willie had killed his roommates.
In 2017, one other Willie died and his understudy “Wee Willie” assumed the function.
Then, in 2020, one other Willie died however his loss of life wasn’t introduced till November 2021. The February 2021 prediction was made by the then-mayor Janice Jackson tossing a hat into the snow.
In 2022, a brown groundhog was named as the subsequent Wiarton Willie, however he was later changed in 2023 by the present white groundhog.
A number of Canadian predictions
Whereas Punxsutawney Phil is the OG (authentic groundhog), Canada has seen a number of climate prognosticating animals be a part of the gang over time.
Shubenacadie Sam, dwelling in Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia. Lucy the Lobster, dwelling in Barrington, N.S. Fred la Marmotte in Val-d’Espoir, Que. Wiarton Willie in Wiarton, Ont.
There was additionally Winnipeg Wyn, however she died in 2020.
Different “groundhogs” that additionally supply predictions embrace:
Bonhomme Couèche, which is an individual in a mascot costume who’s a part of the winter carnival in Shediac, N.B.. Manitoba Merv, which is a puppet/golf membership cowl. Alberta’s Balzac Billy, which is an individual in a groundhog mascot costume. B.C.’s Okanagan Okie, which is a stuffed animal. 
Okanagan Okie stands atop ‘Marmot Metropolis,’ a rocky knoll overlooking the North Okanagan Valley close to Vernon, B.C., on the Allan Brooks Nature Centre. (Cheryl Hood)
In 2024, Toronto firm Gates Wildlife Management requested whether or not raccoons may be higher suited to climate prognosticating.
“Whereas Mr. Groundhog hibernates, the raccoon is busy honing its forecasting abilities and navigating the concrete jungle,” the corporate mentioned in a YouTube video.
“With its eager mind and adaptableness, the raccoon proposes a contemporary method to climate prediction, utilizing discarded objects and concrete observations as an alternative of shadows. It is time for a climate revolution led by the raccoon.”
Whereas the thought was proposed, it doesn’t seem the corporate discovered a raccoon to offer a prediction.
