Willie, Sam at odds over spring
Predictions in as Quebecers mourn Fred
• Fred la Marmotte, Quebec’s beloved groundhog who predicted whether spring would come early, was found dead early Thursday, just hours before he was supposed to perform his annual ritual.
“This year, things will be done differently,” said La Jour de Fred committee organizer Roberto Blondin on the event’s livestream.
“I’m announcing the death of Fred. It’s sadly true.”
Children and adults attending the early-morning ceremony gasped when they heard the news.
“Everyone was very sad. You could see it on their faces,” said Renée Laurendeau, a spokesperson for the event, which is held every Feb. 2 in the Gaspé town of Val-d’espoir.
He said the groundhog likely passed away in the late fall or early December.
“In life, the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain,” Blondin told the crowd.
A child attending the ceremony was called in as an emergency replacement. She was handed a stuffed toy groundhog, which managed to cast a shadow despite the pall over the event.
“It’s nice and sunny here, so sadly, it will be a late spring,” Laurendeau said.
Blondin discovered his furry friend had died when he went to wake him from hibernation to get him ready for the Groundhog Day ritual.
For the past 14 years, Fred would wake up every Feb. 2 to let Quebecers know whether spring would be early. If he saw his shadow, winter would continue for another six weeks, according to folklore.
In previous years, the rodent would be moved from his enclosed barn to a log cabin that would be heated slowly to 6 C to rouse him from his deep sleep.
After making his prediction, Fred would be returned to his home and would sleep until springtime or until the temperature reached 6 C.
There will be a new groundhog next year to continue the tradition, organizers say.
“He was at least 14 years old; that’s pretty old for a groundhog,” Laurendeau added.
Among the other famous Canadian groundhogs who made it to sunrise, predictions were divided.
Ontario’s Wiarton Willie called for an early spring while Shubenacadie Sam, Nova Scotia’s most famous groundhog, apparently saw her shadow Thursday morning as she emerged from a snow-covered enclosure at a wildlife park north of Halifax.
In the United States, Punxsutawney Phil agreed with Sam, predicting six more weeks of winter. Phil’s prediction came during a week when ice, sleet and snow has lingered across much of the southern U.S.