Groundhog Day Alberta: Will Balzac Billy See His Shadow on Feb 2nd?

Did you know that Alberta has a weather-predicting “squirrel”?

Richardson Ground Squirrel; Credit: Robert Pruner/Flickr

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 Okanagan Okie — but the town’s mascot.

Credit: Blue Grass Garden Centre

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.

Last year, Billy predicted a long winter or, in the Groundhog Day language, six more weeks of winter, while in 2023, 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 at the Blue Grass Nursery near CrossIron Mills Mall.

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 the garden centre.

Credit: Blue Grass 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