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GROUNDHOG DAY: Canada’s furry prognosticators conflict over predictions

Punxsutawney Phil agreed with Sam

AJ Dereume holds up Phil the groundhog as he is to make his prediction on how long winter will last during the Groundhog Day Festivities, at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 2, 2023.
AJ Dereume holds up Phil the groundhog as he is to make his prediction on how long winter will last during the Groundhog Day Festivities, at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 2, 2023. Photo by Alan Freed /REUTERS

Two of Canada’s most famous groundhog prognosticators have made conflicting calls about spring’s arrival.

Ontario’s Wiarton Willie has called for an early spring while Shubenacadie Sam, Nova Scotia’s most famous groundhog, apparently saw her shadow this morning as she emerged from a snow-covered enclosure at a wildlife park north of Halifax.

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According to folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, winter will drag on. However, if it doesn’t spot its shadow, spring-like weather will soon arrive.

In Wiarton, Ont., Willie was brought out on stage in a Plexiglas box and South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Garry Michi declared the rodent had heralded spring’s arrival.

But in the United States, Punxsutawney Phil agreed with Sam for a second straight year, predicting six more weeks of winter.

In Gobbler’s Knob, a community about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow.

The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.

According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said.

The 2021 and 2022 forecasts also called for six more weeks of winter.

New York City’s Staten Island Chuck made his prediction for an early spring during an event Thursday at the Staten Island Zoo.