Fred is dead as Willie, Sam at odds over spring’s arrival
Ontario prognosticator Wiarton Willie calls for an early spring
The death of a prognosticating rodent in Quebec cast a shadow over Groundhog Day festivities on Thursday, while the notable furry forecasters who made their predictions were split over spring’s arrival.
Fred la Marmotte is dead, organizers in Val D’Espoir, Que., told the crowd that had gathered in anticipation of the rodent’s annual prediction.
The announcement came after most of the event, including a dance break with a large Fred mascot, had taken place without indication of the animal’s death.
“In life, the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain,” Roberto Blondin, an organizer, eventually told the crowd.
Blondin explained that Fred did not have vital signs when efforts were made to wake the animal from a winter slumber. He said the nineyear-old groundhog likely passed away in the late fall or early December.
In Fred’s place, organizers pulled a stuffed toy groundhog from Fred’s miniature wooded cabin, handed it to a young boy and then lifted the child in the air. The boy later convened with other kids on a stage before calling for six more weeks of winter.
According to folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, winter will drag on. However, if it doesn’t spot its shadow, springlike weather will soon arrive.
Among the 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.
Meanwhile, 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.
Folklorists say the Groundhog Day ritual may have something to do with Feb. 2 landing midway between winter solstice and spring equinox, but no one knows for sure.