Posts Tagged ‘Groundhog Day’

All eyes on Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and Winnipeg Willow

By The Canadian Press - Saturday, February 2, 2013 - 0 Comments

WIARTON, Ont. – Canada’s prognosticating rodents are split on whether the country is in…

WIARTON, Ont. – Canada’s prognosticating rodents are split on whether the country is in for an early spring or six more weeks of winter.

Wiarton Willie, Canada’s most celebrated of all its furry forecasters, is predicting an early spring, siding with Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil — generally regarded as the groundhog of record.

Manitoba’s lesser known woodchuck, Winnipeg Willow, also failed to see her shadow when she emerged Saturday morning, meaning she believes spring is around the corner.

But Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam and Quebec’s Fred are calling for more cold weather.

Folklore has it that if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day it’ll flee back to its burrow, heralding six more weeks of winter, and if it doesn’t, it means spring’s just around the corner.

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  • TIFF 2012: time travel movies

    By Sonya Bell - Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 12:36 PM - 0 Comments

    With ‘Looper’ opening the festival tonight, here’s a look at 5 noteworthy films that do the genre justice

    Bruce Willis in 'Looper'

    You just have to love a genre that can produce a movie called Hot Tub Time Machine. Two time travel movies are screening at TIFF 2012. Looper, starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, depicts future time travel as illegal and only available on the black market – perfect for mob kills (It’s gala premiere is on September 6).  In the Japanese film Thermae Romae, which premieres on the 8th, an ancient Roman architect slips back and forth between ancient Rome and modern day Japan.

    Here are five movies that do the wonders of time travel justice.

    5)  Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure: Keanu Reeves. The 1980s. This comedic double trip back in time is just as outrageous as the whole decade. Panned at the time, it’s now a cult classic.

    4)  The Terminator: Speaking of the outrageous 1980s. This Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster launched the career of director James Cameron. It’s non-stop action, from 2029 back to 1984, had audiences clinging to Schwarzenegger’s promise that he’d be back (three times, so far).

    3)  Groundhog Day: Bill Murray’s time loop movie was such a monumental moment in time travel film, its title is now a pop culture reference understood even by those who have never watched Murray spend years reliving the same day.

    2)  It’s a Wonderful Life: No Christmas season is complete without this classic Jimmy Stewart film, where he sees the world without him in it and gives us a wholesome message for the holidays.

    1)  Back to the Future: There was clearly no better decade for time travel adventure than the 1980s. Michael J. Fox’s hilarious misadventures back in his parents’ high school days cemented his own career in Hollywood and produced not only one of the best time travel movies of the 1980s, but one of its best movies, period.

  • Fair's fair

    By Paul Wells - Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 6:01 PM - 10 Comments

    The Prime Minister has announced a short-notice news conference for 6:30 p.m. Ottawa time. At a guess, it’s probably about the glad news of Bob Fowler’s release. At any rate, we complain (well, I do) when he finds reasons to talk to non-Canadian reporters, so I should note he’s coming to talk to us too. At the National Press Theatre, no less. Probably it’ll be televised on the cable nets.

From Macleans