View live stream of Wiarton Willie’s call here.
Wiarton Willie will make his much anticipated return as lead prognosticator in the 66th annual prediction morning forecast on Groundhog Day Wednesday.
Willie was absent from the event in 2021 and it was later revealed the groundhog had died ahead of the annual event. South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson instead tossed a woman’s fur hat in the snow last year to inform the forecast, in recognition of what the founder of the town’s now famed tradition Mac McKenzie did in 1956.
This year’s event will be taking a virtual format due to the ongoing pandemic. Wiarton Willie will predict whether or not we get six more weeks of winter, or an early spring.
Jackson says they typically see about 1,000 people come to prediction morning.
“We are doing the entire prediction but without any crowd, so it is going to be the same. The only thing we are going to be missing is the fireworks, entertainment, and of course our crowd,” says Jackson.
Jackson, who speaks ‘groundhogese’ and translates Willie’s call on prediction morning, describes the current brown groundhog currently serving as Willie as very active, very curious and very friendly.
“I think it is going to be a lot of fun and hopefully by next year we will have another albino,” says Jackson.
Jackson says the annual prediction has grown tremendously since it started 66 years ago and has turned into a large event.
“It is wonderful for Wiarton and South Bruce Peninsula and it is just an awful amount of fun and residents and visitors just have a hoot on prediction morning. I think when people come to prediction morning for the first time, I think they are really surprised at how fun the event is and then they come every year after that,” says Jackson.
The event can be caught on the South Bruce Peninsula YouTube channel or on their Facebook page on Feb. 2 at 7:55 a.m.
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