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GROUNDHOG DAY: Fred is dead in Quebec, Willie and Sam at odds

Organizers in Quebec broke the news this morning to the crowd gathered in Val d’Espoir

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, Pa., Feb. 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, Pa., Feb. 2, 2023. Photo by Alan Freed /REUTERS

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. — In what will likely be heralded as a bleak Groundhog Day prognostication, one of Canada’s most famous rodents died before he was set to make his prediction about spring’s arrival.

Organizers in Quebec broke the news this morning to the crowd gathered in Val d’Espoir, saying nine-year-old Fred la Marmotte had been found dead the night before.

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In Fred’s place, organizers pulled a stuffed toy groundhog from a miniature wooded hut and handed it to a child who called for six more weeks of winter.

Among the groundhogs who made an appearance on the decisive day, predictions were split.

Ontario’s Wiarton Willie 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.

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 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 km) 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.