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GROUNDHOG DAY: Furry prognosticators make their predictions

According to folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, winter will drag on

Wiarton Willie sits in his cage in Wiarton, Ont., on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018.
Wiarton Willie sits in his cage in Wiarton, Ont., on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. Photo by Hannah Yoon /THE CANADIAN PRESS

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. — 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 they don’t spot their shadow, spring-like weather will soon arrive.

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Just after 8 a.m. local time, the door to Sam’s pint-sized barn was opened, and she slowly backed out into the cold.

The annual tradition at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, broadcast live on Facebook, has been closed to visitors for the past two years because of COVID-19 gathering restrictions — and the in-person festivities were cancelled in 2020 because of a storm.

But a small crowd, including a gaggle of children, braved the -14 C weather this morning.

As expected, Sam was the first groundhog in North America to make a prediction — thanks to the Atlantic time zone.

In Wiarton, Ont., the community’s celebrity groundhog, Wiarton Willie, was also expected to make an appearance today.