Wiarton Willie Statue in Wiarton, Ontario

Wiarton Willie Statue in Wiarton, Ontario

Every February 2nd, the small Georgian Bay town of Wiarton gathers before dawn to consult one of Canada’s most unlikely celebrities: a groundhog named Wiarton Willie. If Willie sees his shadow, tradition warns of six more weeks of winter. If he does not, spring is supposedly just around the corner. In a country where winter often feels endless, thousands still take the prediction remarkably seriously. The tradition supposedly began in 1956 after…