Groundhog Day with Canada’s Wiarton Willie

Wiarton Willie


It’s Groundhog Day in Canada and a nation holds its breath as we wait for our albino ambassador, Wiarton Willie, to predict the weather.

If Willie sees his shadow, we’ll have six more weeks of winter. No sign of a shadow means an early spring.

Canadians appear to have recovered from 1999's Williegate scandal, as reported previously on Infomaniac.

Of course the Americans have to muscle in on our big Day with their own weather-predicting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. An ugly bugger as you can see…





I’m surprised he isn’t waving a wee “Stars and Stripes.”


I leave Infomaniac’s Canuck readers (you foreigners can skip this bit) with a Hinterland Who’s Who video classic … the Woodchuck (Groundhog).

Canadians will either run screaming from the room at the first notes of the flute music or they’ll get teary-eyed and sentimental. Either way, Hinterland Who’s Who is an icon of Canadian culture.



And if you’re in Wiarton, Ontario today, be sure to head on down to the Wiarton Willie Festival.

Come early for the pancake breakfast and stay for the prediction.

UPDATE: Wiarton Willie predicts early spring!

Wiarton Willie

Flags in Wiarton, Ontario are flying at half-mast today.

A memorial service will be held today for Wiarton Willie, the weather-predicting albino groundhog.

The eight-year-old rodent died of an infection on July 11, 2006. Willie’s handler Holly Morrow said, “He had a good life.”

Each year on Groundhog Day, February 2nd, Wiarton Willie predicted whether or not Canadians would have an early spring.





6-ton statue of Wiarton Willie called "Willie Emerging"



The death of Willie's predecessor in 1999 caused the scandal known throughout Canada as “Williegate.” The groundhog in Willie’s casket was actually a stuffed imposter who had died years earlier! Apparently, the real Willie was too decomposed to be put on display.

This Wiarton Willie will be cremated. His ashes will be buried in a shrine next to the stone sculpture of Willie in Bluewater Park.

Infomaniac will keep you posted as to Willie’s successor.




Wiarton, Ontario