Wiarton Willie 2024 Festival and Prediction Morning
South Bruce Peninsula is home to Canada's most famous weather prognosticating groundhog Wiarton Willie!
Each year on February 2nd, people from around the world eagerly wait to see if Wiarton Willie will see a shadow indicating 6 more weeks of winter, or not see a shadow, predicting an early spring.
| Our 2024 Platinum sponsor | ||||||||
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We are pleased to welcome Bruce Power as our Platinum sponsor. As a leader in Canada’s nuclear industry, Bruce Power provides Ontario families and businesses with reliable, carbon-free electricity and life-saving medical isotopes. Our electricity production is crucial in the fight against climate change and the transition to a robust, Net Zero economy. Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program will extend the life of its nuclear fleet, creating and sustaining over 20,000 highly-skilled jobs annually, driving the province’s economy, especially in the Clean Energy Frontier region of Grey, Bruce and Huron counties.
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| Our 2024 Friends sponsors | ||||||||
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| Festival events | ||||||||
| Prediction Morning Friday February 2, 2024, Fireworks at 7am in Bluewater Park Willie's Prediction at 8:07am at the Wiarton Arena Parking Lot. The Town of South Bruce Peninsula will be hosting a free community festival following Prediction Morning on Friday Feb 2, 2024 in Bluewater Park the Festival Events include and are not limited to:
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| History and past predictions | ||||||||
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| Sponsorship Package 2024 | ||||||||
| Sponsors are critical to the success of any community event. Please consider sponsoring the 2024 Wiarton Willie Festival. You can view the sponsorship package and/or contact Danielle Edwards, Manager of Economic Development and Communications for more information. | ||||||||
| Where does Willie live? | ||||||||
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You can visit Wiarton Willie from May until September in his home in Bluewater Park. |
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| The Mac McKenzie award | ||||||||
The Mac McKenzie Award is given to an individual or organization who works tirelessly for our community and demonstrates a selfless volunteer commitment.
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| Willie's Kid Zone | ||||||||
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Downloadable Colouring Pages |
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| Willie's Statue | ||||||||
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Willie became so famous that in 1995 a statue made from stone donated by Adair Quarry and sculpting donated by Dave Robinson. A beautiful white limestone statue called "Willie Emerging" was unveiled in Bluewater Park on February 3, 1996 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Wiarton Willie prognostications.. The statue located in Bluewater Park in Wiarton is a perfect opportunity for a photo op. The statue is a 'must see' for most tourists visiting the Town of South Bruce Peninsula.
The Wiarton Willie statue started out as a single piece of dolomite limestone weighing approximately 7 tonnes. The stone donated Arriscraft Corporation/Adair Quarry in Hope Bay, 20 kms north of Wiarton. Arriscraft Corporation has provided stone for buildings such as Canada's Embassy in Washington, the locks of the Rideau Canal and the Peacekeeper Monument in Ottawa. Dave Robinson, an artist from the area, apprenticed in marble carving in Carrera Italy and has several works on display in Toronto and Ottawa. Robinson donated his time and talent to sculpt the image of the weather-forecasting groundhog. Robinson began the work in the summer of 1995. The statue is statue life-like and natural looking with some minimal stylization. Robinson left the statue roughly carved so the crystals in the stone help to keep the look close to that of the albino groundhog. The completed statue weighs approximately 4.5 tonnes. |
