Quebec groundhog predicts early spring
Posted February 2, 2024 8:22 am.
Last Updated February 2, 2024 12:13 pm.
The new Quebec groundhog at Val-d’Espoir in Gaspé predicted an early spring on Friday morning, after he didn’t see his shadow.
Fred, a one-and-a-half-year-old groundhog, who replaced the one who died last year, took a dip in the snow in Percé early this morning.
The animal, visibly very vigorous, predicted the early arrival of spring, after consultation with the Val-d’Espoir children’s committee.
The event was happier than last year, when organizer Roberto Blondin had to announce to the public the death of the “official groundhog of Quebec,” who was nine years old.
The new groundhog was adopted from a litter over a year ago and has been trained to be less fearful of human contact, Blondin explains.
Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, when groundhogs from across Canada and the United States are called upon to come forward and give their verdict on the arrival of spring. Ontario’s Wiarton Willie and Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam did not see their shadows and also predicted an early spring.
According to centuries-old folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow, it will return to its burrow for another six weeks of winter weather. If it doesn’t see its shadow, spring will come early.
The consensus on spring’s early arrival extended to Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil, whose annual declaration exploded in popularity after the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day”.
This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews.
