Genie the black bear emerges, welcomes the start of spring in Montreal
A black bear in Montreal has decided that it's spring, even if a winter storm is on the way for the weekend.
Genie the bear emerged from her hibernation home at the Montreal Ecomuseum on Friday and spent some time rolling in the snow and enjoying the sunny weather.
"For us, at the ecomuseum, it is absolutely the start of spring that Genie, our black bear, is waking up from hibernation," said ecomuseum biologist Elizabeth Landry.
Landry said that staff monitors the bear throughout the year but that it's the animal who decides when to pack it in for the winter and wake up for the spring.
"She has a certain process," said Landry. "They're getting ready for winter in the fall, and all through the summertime; they are eating in order to make their reserves, to hibernate, and to be able to come through it. It's really up to her. There are some very clear signs for us to know that she's ready to go to sleep, and when she decides that she's done with it, that's it."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Engaged couple shot dead fleeing landlord after house dispute near Hamilton, Ont., police say
A 'truly innocent' engaged couple was shot dead while attempting to flee their attacker outside their home after a landlord-tenant dispute escalated on Saturday night, according to police.

Turkiye's Erdogan wins 5th term as president, extending rule into 3rd decade
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection Sunday, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade in a country reeling from high inflation and the aftermath of an earthquake that levelled entire cities.
Venice authorities investigate after canal turns fluorescent green
Venetian authorities are investigating after a patch of fluorescent green water appeared in the famed Grand Canal on Sunday morning.
Jan. 6 rioters are raking in thousands in donations. Now the U.S. is coming after their haul
Less than two months after he pleaded guilty to storming the U.S. Capitol, Texas resident Daniel Goodwyn appeared on Tucker Carlson's then-Fox News show and promoted a website where supporters could donate money to Goodwyn and other rioters whom the site called 'political prisoners.'
BREAKING | 3-year-old boy dies after drowning in backyard pool west of Toronto
Police are investigating the death of a three-year-old boy who was pulled from a backyard pool in Oakville on Saturday.
Paul Walker honoured by brother Cody who names newborn son after the ‘Fast & Furious’ star
As seen in People, Cody Walker and his wife Felicia have named their newborn son Paul, in tribute to the fallen 'Fast & Furious' star. Paul Barrett ('Bear') Walker was born late last month.
How much would you pay for this piece of '70s nostalgia?
'The Brady Bunch' house has hit the market for any fan of groovy ’70s pop culture, but it’ll take much more than a hunch to get your hands on it.
Russia launched 'largest drone attack' on Ukrainian capital before Kyiv Day; 1 killed
Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.
Attorney for 11-year-old Mississippi boy shot by police says there's 'no way' he could have been mistaken for an adult
An attorney for an 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after he called 911 for help said Thursday there was 'no way' the boy could have been mistaken for an adult.