What kind of groundhog is wiarton willie

Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam emerged from his burrow northeast of Halifax, and according to his handlers, saw his shadow.

But in Ontario and Quebec, Wiarton Willie and Fred la Marmotte were paraded before their respective audiences and evidently saw no shadow.

Folklore has it that if a groundhog sees its shadow on Feb. No shadow is said to foretell spring-like temperatures are on the way. Sam is always the first groundhog in North America to make a prediction about how long winter will last, with Willie offering a guess about an hour later.

This year, the festivities at Shubenacadie Wildlife Park surrounding Sam's annual prognostication were cancelled this year due to a blustery snowstorm that hit the region on Saturday night. But the fanfare went ahead in Wiarton, Ont. The event was not without its share of excitement, however, when Jackson misinterpreted Willie's supposed forecast. She initially told the town crier that because the rodent saw no shadow, winter was here to stay. The group on stage then repeated the ritual, with Jackson double checking before interpreting the critter's prediction for the second time.

Willie was backed up by his Quebecois counterpart, Fred la Marmotte of Val-d'Espoir, who also suggested spring was nigh. Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil also made an appearance Sunday morning with his top-hatted handlers before a huge crowd at Gobbler's Knob, and predicted an early spring. The Groundhog Day ritual may have something to do with Feb. Some say the tradition can be traced to Greek mythology, or it could have started with Candlemas, a Christian custom named for the lighting candles during the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary.

One Scottish couplet summed up the superstition: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year. In medieval Europe, farmers believed that if hedgehogs emerged from their burrows to catch insects, that was a sure sign of an early spring.

However, when Europeans settled in eastern North America, the groundhog was substituted for the hedgehog. Like groundhogs, marmots are a type of large ground squirrel. Willie Secret Message Math. Willie became so famous that in a statue made from stone donated by Adair Quarry and sculpting donated by Dave Robinson. A beautiful white limestone statue called "Willie Emerging" was unveiled in Bluewater Park on February 3, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Wiarton Willie prognostications..

The statue located in Bluewater Park in Wiarton is a perfect opportunity for a photo op. The statue is a 'must see' for most tourists visiting the Town of South Bruce Peninsula. The Wiarton Willie statue started out as a single piece of dolomite limestone weighing approximately 7 tonnes. Dave Robinson, an artist from the area, apprenticed in marble carving in Carrera Italy and has several works on display in Toronto and Ottawa. Robinson donated his time and talent to sculpt the image of the weather-forecasting groundhog.

Robinson began the work in the summer of The statue is statue life-like and natural looking with some minimal stylization. Robinson left the statue roughly carved so the crystals in the stone help to keep the look close to that of the albino groundhog. The completed statue weighs approximately 4. Close Alert Banner. Wiarton Willie. Decrease text size Default text size Increase text size.

Print This Page. Wiarton Willie Festival and Prediction Morning We are looking for Sponsors for the event, please see the sponsorship package and email the Manager of Economic Development and Communications if you wish to be a sponsor. Festival Events Planning is underway, stay tuned for more information. Festival events If you are hosting an event during the Wiarton Willie Festival Weekend and you would like to be included on our website or in the program please fill out the application and return it to Town Hall.

History and past predictions How it all began Wiarton has been celebrating the Wiarton Willie Festival for over 64 years. Seasons usually follow a common pattern, so choosing six more weeks of cold and snow is statistically the better bet.

Social Sharing. Quick facts Woodchuck and groundhog are common terms for the same animal. Scientific name: Marmota monax. Woodchucks can climb trees and also swim.

Groundhogs in the wild eat green plants, such as dandelion greens, clover, plantain and grasses. They feed heavily in summer, storing fat for winter hibernation.

By February, hibernating woodchucks have lost as much as half their body weight. So how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? About kilograms.