Wiarton Willie, the Ontario hedgehog gifted to him, is dead
Wingham, Ont. –
Southern Peninsula Mayor Bruce Janice Jackson announced Tuesday.
The mayor said the rodent famously died from a tooth abscess before last year’s Spider Day ceremony.
Last year, a pre-recorded video without Willie was sent by the municipality on Groundhog Day morning, sparking rumors about Wiarton Willie’s health.
In the video, a hat has taken Willie’s place, with Jackson sharing his prediction for an early spring.
But the show must go on, Jackson said, which is why on the 66th anniversary of Wiarton Willie’s weather forecast event, a live, live event will return on February 2, 2022, but with a brown earth dog.
Jackson said albino groundhogs were rare and although they searched a lot to find Willie’s replacement, the jaguar’s impending hibernation meant they had to adopt a brown groundhog. to take Willie’s place this year.
They were saddened to lose albino Willie, Jackson said, and were excited about the return of a morning of live, live anticipation.
“We look forward to getting together for a ‘live’ event in 2022. It would be great to be able to celebrate Willie’s prediction together, as a community,” she said.