'Shy' groundhog understudy predicts early spring

“He says it’s an early spring!”

With a twinkle in her eye, South Bruce Peninsula Mayor, Janice Jackson shared Wiarton Willie’s winter prediction with a virtual audience Wednesday morning after COVID regulations forced the usually raucous event, online.

“Yeah, we didn’t have the crowds. You know, we usually get at least 1,000 people that come. We didn’t have the fireworks and all the entertainment and all the festivities, but we still had a good time, and Willie made a prediction, and all is good,” says Mayor Jackson.

It was Willie’s brown understudy taking on prediction duties Wednesday morning after Wiarton’s last albino groundhog was taken down by a tooth abscess before the 2021 ceremony.

This year’s version posed for pictures afterwards but burrowed into his straw-filled cage during his expected moment in the sun.

“As soon as he heard the town criers with their bells, he just went ‘voop’, underneath the straw, and I’m like, wait, wait a minute, Willie. This is your big debut, like stick your head out, at least,” recounts Jackson, dressed in her traditional purple prediction morning robe and furry pink top hat.

Willie was pretty much alone in his prediction of an early spring. Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, as did Punxsutawney Phil.

Jackson says they’re still looking for an albino groundhog to resume prediction duties in Wiarton, but whether they find one or not, a groundhog of some description will be on stage next year, hopefully with a crowd of fans braving the cold to watch.

“That was his second Willie prediction this morning. He said, we’ll be back to normal, next year,” says Jackson.