Beach Radio's Rebecca Barton, the Allan Brooks Nature Centre's Okanagan Okie, and Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming at the Groundhog Day celebrations (Image Credit: Rebecca Barton)

By Liam Verster

Groundhog Day

Okanagan Okie predicts early spring

Feb 2, 2026 | 11:22 AM

The Allan Brooks Nature Centre’s Okanagan Okie has predicted an early spring.

As part of a Groundhog Day celebration Monday, Feb. 2, the nature centre’s marmot mascot came out of hiding.

“On this second day of February, Okanagan Okie, the seer of seers, the prognosticator of all prognosticators, was awakened from this wintery nap in the morning at Allan Brooks Nature Centre,” Mayor Victor Cumming said as he read the prediction.

“Okanagan Okie looked to the skies, and then speaking in marmotese, he directed me, the mayor, through this proper scroll, which reads: ‘From his cozy den, Okie peers, no shadow is seen. Goodbye to fears, winter loosens, warmth draws near. Early spring is coming this year.'”

Cheryl Hood, executive director of the Allan Brooks Nature Centre, said during the celebration that “we are hoping that Okie will sort of predict that we will actually get a winter this year,” but conceded the decision made by the marmot.

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While winter is not expected to last long in the Okanagan, that was not the consensus of some other Groundhog Day celebrations.

According to the Weather Network, Violet on Vancouver Island predicted another six weeks of winter, as did Billy in Balzac, Alberta and Manitoba Merv. Meanwhile, Wiarton Willie in Ontario, Fred la Marmotte in Quebec, and Lucy the Lobster in Nova Scotia all called for an early spring.