What is the name of the groundhog from Wiarton, Ontario?

The groundhog from Wiarton, Ontario, is named Wiarton Willie.

Wiarton Willie is the forecasting groundhog associated with the community of Wiarton on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula. His public appearance is part of the annual Wiarton Willie Festival, held around February 2 as part of Canada’s Groundhog Day celebrations.

The festival began in 1956, when local resident Mac McKenzie organized a gathering that unexpectedly attracted a Toronto Star reporter. McKenzie improvised a groundhog prediction using a fur hat, a snowy burrow, and a made-up ceremony. The event grew, and a real groundhog named Willie became part of the tradition in the 1980s.

“Wiarton Willie” is a continuing title, not necessarily one animal’s lifelong name. The original Willie died in 1999, and later animals inherited the role. Willie V was introduced in 2022 and was reported dead in March 2026, after which organizers planned to seek a successor.

The name is sometimes confused with Balzac Billy, Manitoba Mel, or Shubenacadie Sam, but those are separate Canadian groundhog figures.