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 “wake 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 doesn’t 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.
- Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania additionally predicted six extra weeks of winter.
Wiarton, Ont., is a city of about 1,900 folks situated on the Bruce Peninsula. Yearly, it holds an annual competition 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 workforce, a curling bonspiel, a chili cook-off, skating, a darts event and extra.
This yr’s competition went on regardless of the area seeing a considerable amount of snow over the previous week.
City of South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Jay Kirkland mentioned the roads are clear after the “old fashioned snow event” the skilled this week and so they had been prepared for folks to drive into city for the principle occasion Sunday morning.
“I put the oath of office on my neck and that allows me to be able to talk to the groundhog and hopefully we hear that it’s an early spring this year,” Kirkland informed CBC Kitchener-Waterloo’s The Morning Version with host Craig Norris on Friday.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed, but we still have to let Willie decide,” Kirkland added, saying he didn’t wish to guess whether or not or not Willie would see his shadow. “I’m not the weather guy. I just helped run the town.”
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 studies. The primary official trek to Gobbler’s Knob was made on Feb. 2, 1887.
Punxsutawney Phil is maybe the world’s best-known groundhog — he’s been predicting the climate the longest and he’s featured within the film Groundhog Day starring Invoice Murray.
The Groundhog Day custom in Wiarton dates again to 1956. The City of South Bruce Peninsula says it was began by a “spirited individual” named Mac McKenzie that had “a desire to shake off the winter blues and bring some warmth to the community.”
The municipality’s web site says McKenzie invited buddies 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 Toronto Star reporter who arrived on the town to report on the occasion.
“In a moment of whimsy and spontaneity, when asked about the whereabouts of the groundhog, Mac playfully tossed a fur hat into the snow,” the city’s web site says.
“Seizing the opportunity for a memorable photo, the reporter immortalized the hat as a stand-in for the elusive groundhog.”
There was controversy with Willie prior to now, although. In 1999, the groundhog was discovered lifeless simply days earlier than he was speculated to hit the stage for his prediction. A funeral was held however a special 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 coated 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 residing 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 following 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 part of the group through the years.
- Shubenacadie Sam, residing in Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia.
- Lucy the Lobster, residing 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 provide predictions embrace:
- 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.
In 2024, Toronto firm Gates Wildlife Management requested whether or not raccoons is perhaps higher suited to climate prognosticating.
“While Mr. Groundhog hibernates, the raccoon is busy honing its forecasting skills and navigating the concrete jungle,” the corporate mentioned in a YouTube video.
“With its keen intellect and adaptability, the raccoon proposes a modern approach to weather prediction, using discarded items and urban observations instead of shadows. It’s time for a weather revolution led by the raccoon.”
Whereas the concept was proposed, it doesn’t seem the corporate discovered a raccoon to supply a prediction.
