It’s Groundhog Day across Canada. Will it be an early spring or six more weeks of winter?
Wiarton Willie, in Bruce County, Ont., appeared on stage on Monday to make his prediction. According to the folklore tradition, if a groundhog sees their shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if they don’t, it will be an early spring.
“Wake up Willie,” the announcers and crowd chanted, as Willie was brought out on stage.
“It’s an early spring,” the announcer said.
Quebec’s Fred La Marmotte‘s prediction was also in line with Willie’s.
The famous groundhog in Quebec’s Gaspésie region reportedly did not see his shadow Monday morning, calling for an early spring.
One of Canada’s most famous groundhogs, Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam, did not go ahead with her typical prediction event due to a forecast that calls for yet another winter storm in her home province.
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The Nova Scotia government announced the cancellation saying blowing snow could create unsafe driving conditions for people travelling to Sam’s home at Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, about 50 kilometres north of Halifax. The provincial government said because she will not see a shadow today, folklore calls for an early spring.
Environment Canada had winter storm and snowfall warnings for most of northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton late Sunday, calling for up to 25 centimetres in some areas.
The tradition has ties to medieval Europe, when farmers believed that if hedgehogs emerged from their burrows to catch insects, it was a sure sign of early spring.
Meanwhile, south of the border, another famous groundhog had a different prediction.
Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog that lives in a tree stump in rural Pennsylvania, saw its shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.
— With files from the Canadian Press
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