Tuesday 3 February 2009

Sunday February 1st, 2009 Go Ahead and Celebrate Winter

Groundhog Day is just around the corner and that means February is fast approaching. Traditionally on the second day of February the groundhog ventures out of his warm burrow to look for his shadow. It is not that groundhogs are really very interested in their shadow or the weather but we certainly have fun pretending they do. In Canada we give the honour to several different groundhogs in various provinces: Shubenacadie Sam in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia; Wiarton Willie in Wiarton, Ontario; Gary the Groundhog in Kleinburg, Ontario; Spanish Joe in Spanish, Ontario; Brandon Bob in Brandon, Manitoba and Balzac Billy in Balzac, Alberta. The premise is simple. If the groundhog sees his shadow, then there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not, then spring is in the offing.

This tradition began in Europe and when settlers came to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, they brought with them Candlemas Day (mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox). It seems one of the earliest references to Groundhog Day is in a journal entry by James Morris, a storekeeper in Berks County, Pennsylvania who wrote: “Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.” The first trip to visit Punxsutawney Phil occurred in the late 1800’s and folks have been heading there ever since for two days of festivities.

Whether spring comes early or late there is always a wealth of ideas and activities available at the Thunder Bay Public Library. It is a warm and welcoming place to be in both winter and spring. First of all, if you have never seen the movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray but would like to, it is available for borrowing at your Thunder Bay Public Library. There are also a number of excellent children’s books in both French and English, all about Groundhog Day: Le Jour de la Marmotte, by Betsy Lewin; Groundhog Day by Gail Gibbons and Go to Sleep, Groundhog, by Judy Cox to name a few.

If you have already read those particular books and seen that movie, you can find on the Thunder Bay Public Library website (www.tbpl.ca), a wide array of new books and DVD’s available to you. Click on the Find Books tab and you will discover new fiction and non-ficiton titles as well as new DVD’s and CD ROMS. If you would like to read something new but need a few suggestions, follow the popular reading suggestions link. This takes you to lists of General Reading Suggestions, Award Winners, Bestsellers, and Book Shorts where you can watch video book blurbs, just as you would preview movie trailers and video clips.

So what else is doing at the Library in February and March? Well, much and for every age and taste. On weekday mornings there are Preschool Story Times and Books for Babies. There are fun-filled puppet shows in the Children’s Departments where you can come and watch performances of The Three Little Pigs and the Paper Bag Princess. Want to learn more about your computer? There are Internet classes in the evening, where you can explore Faceboook, Flickr, and YouTube in a friendly and relaxed environment. Musically inclined? There are a number of live concerts lined up for the next few months including Jim ‘n I and the TBSO Ensemble. There are also Income Tax Seminars and Thunder Bay Hydro Presentations on how to lower your electricity bill; Toastmasters’ Club and Writer’s Circle Meetings. And for all you theatre buffs, there is the Cambrian Play Reading Series.

So let Wiarton Willie have his day in the sun – or under cloudy skies. It could go either way. But all you really need to do is enjoy the weeks ahead and benefit from what TBPL has to offer that is just right for you.

Caron E. Naysmith
Supply Staff, Thunder Bay Public Library
www.tbpl.ca

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