Groundhog Day: Quebec will have early spring, says Fred la Marmotte
Posted February 2, 2026 4:00 am.
Last Updated February 2, 2026 9:58 am.
Quebec groundhog Fred la Marmotte, from Gaspé Peninsula, did not see his shadow on Monday morning, which means, according to the tradition of Groundhog Day, spring will come early this year.
The groundhog made its traditional prediction as it does every year in Val-D’Espoir, in front of a crowd gathered for the event.
Fred made his prediction after the crowd sang the official groundhog song, to the delight of Percé Mayor Daniel Leboeuf. Event organizer Roberto Blondin presented the animal to the Gaspé residents, and a child announced his prediction over the microphone: an early spring.
In 2025, Fred had seen its shadow, and therefore predicted six more weeks of winter.
The Nova Scotian groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, will be staying indoors this year. The Nova Scotia government announced Sunday that the Shubenacadie Sam event had been cancelled due to a winter storm. The government added that, since she won’t be seeing her shadow, the popular tradition heralds an early spring.
The tradition has ties to medieval Europe, when farmers believed that if hedgehogs emerged from their burrows to catch insects, it was a sure sign of early spring.
Last year, Canada’s famous prognosticating rodents were split over spring’s arrival.
