A town in southwestern Ontario is grieving the death of a famous rodent resident.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our iconic prognosticating groundhog Wiarton Willie,” South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson said on Wednesday. “Willie was 13 years young and served our Town, Province and Country with immense pride each and every Groundhog Day.”

While groundhogs tend to only live to the age of four in the wild, and albinos like Willie generally live even shorter lives, Wiarton Willie owed his longevity to his “daily care regiment” and “living in a safe and protected environment,” Jackson said.

Willie is believed to have died from natural causes.

The amalgamated town of South Bruce Peninsula, which encompasses Wiarton, Ont., will be mourning their marmot mascot with a funeral procession on the morning of Sept. 30, which will pass a statue bearing Willie’s likeness.

“We invite our community and communities beyond to join us in appreciation and respect for the albino groundhog who put Wiarton on the map!” Jackson, who will be officiating the ceremony, said.

Wiarton Willie’s death closely follows that of Mac McKenzie, the human who founded the Wiarton Willie Festival in 1956. McKenzie died on Aug. 10 at the age of 90.

Willie’s death, and his longstanding connection to McKenzie, was also commemorated with a poem:

“You lived a long and healthy life,” a verse reads, “And though today we cry / We know you are with Mac again / A celebration in the sky.”

Wiarton, thankfully, will not be Willie-less this coming Groundhog Day, with the animal’s two-year-old understudy Wee Willie scheduled to take his predecessor’s place at Prediction Morning on Feb. 2, 2018.

Folklore dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, the region will experience six more weeks of winter. Not seeing a shadow is supposed to herald an early spring.

This year, Willie predicted the latter, but frigid temperatures and falling snow saw winter’s icy grip extend well into March in southwestern Ontario.

“We had a tumultuous relationship -- he was vocal when I missed his big day,” Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne admitted in a tweet on Wednesday. “He sometimes delivered good news. Rest in peace Wiarton Willie.”