WATCH: Willie predicts an early spring
After a brief moment of contemplation, Wiarton Willie’s human interpreter shared his winter weather prediction with the world.
“Willie didn’t see his shadow, so we’re going to have an early spring,” said South Bruce Peninsula Mayor, Garry Michi.
Willie’s prediction was met with cheers from the assembled crowd who braved -15 C temperatures to hear Willie’s prediction, in person, for the first time since February 2020.
“Thank goodness. I wanted an early spring,” said Tom Wiggers.
“I’ve had enough of winter. Bring on spring,” said Julie Smoppel.
This was both Mayor Michi and this version of Wiarton Willie’s first prediction together.
Mayor Michi was just elected in October and the new Wiarton Willie replaces a brown-coated understudy who took over for another albino marmot last year, after the previous groundhogs untimely demise due to a tooth abscess in late 2020.
“I had my granddaughter teach me ‘groundhogese.’ She’s only 8 [years old,] but she picked it up quicker than me, but we figured it out,” said Michi.
Wiarton Willie bucked the North American trend, by selecting an early spring.
Shubenacadie Sam and Puxsutawney Phil both saw their shadows, therefore calling for six more weeks of winter.
“This was this Willie’s first year, so I’ll give him a pass, because I think he got it wrong. Six more weeks of winter, for sure,” said Sharon Roote.
This was the first in-person prediction ceremony in two years in Wiarton thanks to COVID-19 restrictions.
A crowd of nearly 1,000 people braved the cold Thursday morning to hear what Willie and Mayor Michi had to say.
“It’s just nice to see a sense of community back in Wiarton. We’re so happy to see folks back in South Bruce Peninsula for this” Michi concluded.
The Wiarton Willie Festival continues this weekend in Wiarton with a multitude of outdoor events, including skating, axe throwing and life-size outdoor foosball.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
OPP's mandatory alcohol screening during traffic stops 'not acceptable': CCLA
A spike in impaired driving-related collisions has caused Ontario’s provincial police to begin enforcing mandatory alcohol screening (MAS) at all traffic stops in the Greater Toronto Area -- a move one civil rights group says is ‘not acceptable.’
Maple Leafs down Bruins 2-1 to force Game 7
William Nylander scored twice and Joseph Woll made 22 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday to force Game 7 in their first-round series.
Jurors in Trump hush money trial hear recording of pivotal call on plan to buy affair story
Jurors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump heard a recording Thursday of him discussing with his then-lawyer and personal fixer a plan to purchase the silence of a Playboy model who has said she had an affair with the former president.
Southern Alberta store broken into by burly black bear
Staff at a small southern Alberta office supply store were shocked to find someone had broken into the business last week, but they were even more confused when they discovered the culprit was a bear.
Captain sentenced to 4 years for criminal negligence in fiery deaths of 34 aboard scuba boat
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel.
New scam targets Canada Carbon Rebate recipients
Fake text message and email campaigns trying to get money and information out of unsuspecting Canadian taxpayers have started circulating, just months after the federal government rebranded the carbon tax rebate the Canada Carbon Rebate.