The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
While mankind has no doubt invested millions of dollars to gain a better understanding of Mother Nature's whim, meteorology clearly remains an imperfect science. How else do you explain our reliance on a burrowing rodent to tell us how much longer the chilliness of winter will last? Today is of course Groundhog Day, when Wiarton Willie will emerge from hibernation in Ontario. If he sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, it means spring is just around the corner. But Willie is not a professional meteorologist. He is a furry critter who spends much of his time eating plants and scampering about. In other words, you'll probably want to keep your shovel leaning against the house regardless of his prediction. The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish verse: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." Every February 2 since the 1950s, people have gathered in the Town of South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario to see Willie do what has made him famous. Most of the time, he is said to have seen his shadow. In the United States, Americans turn to a groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil, who emerges from his burrow just outside of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
