Wiarton Willie facts for kids

A monument to Wiarton Willie in Bluewater Park

Wiarton Willie is a famous Canadian groundhog who lives in the town of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario. Every year on February 2, which is Groundhog Day, Willie takes part in a special festival. His job is to predict if spring will arrive early or if winter will last longer. The first Wiarton Willie passed away in 1999, but the celebrations still happen every year with a new groundhog, who is also called Wiarton Willie.

Groundhog Day, with Wiarton Willie, is a very popular yearly event in Wiarton. It's similar to other Groundhog Day celebrations across North America. The idea of a mid-winter festival using an animal to predict the weather comes from old Celtic traditions. People say the link between weather prediction and this day was inspired by an old Scottish saying: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear/ There'll be two winters in the year."

How the Wiarton Willie Festival Started

The story of Wiarton Willie began in 1956. A man from Wiarton named Mac McKenzie wanted to show his hometown to his friends. So, he invited them to a "Groundhog Day" party. One of these invitations was seen by a reporter from the Toronto Star newspaper. The reporter traveled to Wiarton looking for a big festival.

No one in town knew about a festival, but someone told him to check the Arlington Hotel. There, the reporter found McKenzie and his friends having a party. He was invited to join them. The next day, the reporter told McKenzie he needed a story to explain his trip. So, McKenzie grabbed his wife's fur hat, which had a big button. He went outside, dug a hole in the snow, and made a prediction. No one remembers what he predicted! A picture of Mac and the hat was in the Toronto Star on February 3, 1956.

A year later, about 50 people came for the festival. Half of them were reporters from different news groups, like the CBC. McKenzie saw this as a great chance and created a festival that has grown bigger over the years.

Meet Wiarton Willie: The Predictor

Wiarton Willie himself joined the festival later on. In the early years, the predictions were made by three "mythical" groundhogs named Grundoon, Muldoon, and Sand Dune. Willie first appeared in the 1980s.

People who follow Wiarton Willie believe his special prediction powers come from where he lives. Wiarton is exactly on the 45th parallel, which is halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. Locally, people say Willie is right about 90% of the time! However, scientists have looked at his predictions and say he is accurate about 25% of the time.

The Life and Successors of Wiarton Willie

The first Wiarton Willie lived a very long life for a groundhog, reaching 22 years old. He was found dead just two days before Groundhog Day in 1999. The festival organizers couldn't find a new groundhog in time. So, on Groundhog Day, they showed "Willie" in a coffin. He was dressed in a tuxedo, had coins over his eyes, and a carrot between his paws. It turned out the real Willie had decomposed, and the body in the coffin was actually an older, stuffed groundhog. News agencies had to correct their stories!

Wiarton Willie's helpers train younger groundhogs, called "Wee Willie," to take over when the current Willie passes away. Wiarton Willies have usually lived longer than typical groundhogs, who live about 4 to 9 years. This means other groundhogs might have served as Willie without it being widely known. Wiarton Willie II passed away on July 11, 2006, after fighting an infection.

On September 15, 2017, Wiarton Willie III died at 13 years old. Two-year-old Wee Willie then became Wiarton Willie IV on September 30, 2017. This happened at the same time as a memorial service for the old Willie.

Wiarton Willie's Past Predictions

The Groundhog Day Celebration

Groundhog Day in Wiarton is a huge celebration! It includes dances, parades, ice hockey tournaments, curling bonspiels (curling competitions), pancake breakfasts, darts and snooker tournaments, sleigh rides, a Monte Carlo Night (a fun event with games), and a fish fry. About 10,000 people come to the event! It has been called "one of the most popular events in Ontario" and has even been named "the World's Greatest Event" twice by Seattle's Festivals.com.