Update: Prediction – Six more weeks of winter.
Did you know that Alberta has a weather-predicting “squirrel”?
Alberta’s Groundhog Day weather predictor, Balzac Billy, resides in Balzac, 24km north of Calgary.
Unlike most other Canadian February 2nd celebrities, Billy is a gopher or a Richardson Ground Squirrel – a common species in Alberta.
Balzac Billy is not a real animal — a trait Billy shares with the other prairie prognosticators, Manitoba Merv and the newest debutante, Okanagan Okie — but the town’s mascot.
The origins of Balzac Billy can be traced to the 1970s, when Balzac’s then-mayor, Merle Osborne, befriended a Richardson Ground Squirrel. According to the Balzac Community Association, a radio station was instrumental in making Billy famous worldwide.
During the next several years, Balzac Billy disappeared from public life due to “foul predictions that some locals took offence to,” with some even blaming poor Billy for Alberta’s gruelling long winters. Apparently, Billy even received death threats. Calgary radio station CFAC program director Jim Kunkel came up with the name Balzac Billy in the late 1970s.
In 2021 and 2022, Billy predicted a long winter or, in the Groundhog Day language, six more weeks of winter, while last year, he just couldn’t wait for spring. Legend has it that, on February 2nd, if the groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, winter will last for another six weeks. If it doesn’t see its shadow, winter will be shorter.
This year, the celebrations to rouse Balzac Billy from hibernation will be hosted by the Blue Grass Nursery, CrossIron Mills Mall, and the Airdrie Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The day begins at 7 a.m. and features a delicious breakfast and a chance to meet Balzac Billy himself, making predictions at 8 a.m. at garden centre.
You can participate in the event in person or watch it online on Blue Grass Nursery & Garden Centre Facebook.
If you are interested in gophers, there is a quirky museum in the Central Alberta Town of Torrington featuring taxidermied gophers dressed in costumes – perfect for a day trip from Calgary during spring.
Groundhog Day Celebrations in Canada
Groundhog Day with Balzac Billy
What: Balzac Billy’s Groundhog Day prediction
When: Friday, February 2, 2024 | 8:00 a.m. MST., Celebrations: 7 am-9 am
Where: Online on Facebook or at Blue Grass Nursery & Garden Centre, 260130B Writing Creek Cres, Rocky View.