The most famous marmots in North America predicted the arrival of an early spring on Friday morning, including Fred, the “official marmot of Quebec” in Gaspésie.
The new marmot from Val d’Espoir, a sector of Percé, left his house early in the morning to predict that spring will soon arrive, after consultation with the children’s committee.
Fred, a one and a half year old marmot, visibly very vigorous, replaces the one who died last year at the age of nine.
The young beast took a walk in the early morning while it was snowing in the sky.
As for the continent’s other famous marmots, they also predicted an early arrival of spring.
In Nova Scotia, Shubenacadie Sam walked slowly out of her small house and, under a gray sky, she apparently couldn’t see her shadow.
Legend has it that if a groundhog sees its shadow, it will return to its burrow for six more weeks of winter weather. If she does not see his shadow, spring will be early.
As usual, Shubenacadie Sam was the first North American groundhog to make a prediction.
In Ontario, Wiarton Willie would not have seen his shadow later in the morning either.
In the United States, the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil also arrived early in the spring.
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is home to the nation’s largest and best-known Groundhog Day celebration in the United States.
The annual event is a ritual in which Phil’s handlers, members of a club with roots dating back to the late 19th century, reveal whether the groundhog has seen his shadow.
Just after sunrise Friday, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced that Phil had not seen his shadow, which would herald early spring weather.