Monday’s eclipse, which will be a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event for many, is expected to cause large groups of people to travel to cities, towns and villages along what has been referred to as the path of totality.
Although a partial eclipse will be visible across much of the province, a total eclipse will occur on Monday afternoon in areas mainly along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario from Windsor to Cornwall.
Large crowds are expected in Niagara Falls and Fort Erie as the area will be left in darkness for the longest period of time.
Those large crowds will be happy because dozens of school boards have closed their doors to students for safety reasons as they would have been on their way home from school as the event was set to take place.
You do not have to head to Niagara Region as there are plenty of other locations across the province to enjoy the view.
What follows is a list of places Ontarians can head to take in Monday’s eclipse.
Windsor-Essex
The area will be the first to enter into a full eclipse as the area will begin to enter the partial phase at around 1:58 p.m. and end at around 4:28 p.m., with a full eclipse expected to take place between 3:12 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.
Pelee Island and the north shore of Lake Erie will be areas with the longest time in the shade, according to the local tourism bureau, while Point Pelee National Park and Seacliff Park and Beach remain other solid options in the area.
Local officials warn that there are only 700 parking spots at the Point Pelee National Park so exercise caution in choosing your destination.
Elgin County
The county’s website boasts that all of its four port communities (Port Burwell, Port Bruce, Port Stanley and Port Glasgow) and John E. Pearce Provincial Park in Wallacetown are solid options to view the event.
The main event will begin in the area at around 3:16 p.m. and last for a couple of minutes, although times vary slightly depending on where you stand.
Norfolk County
The entire county sits in the path of totality, with an event being hosted at the Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The full eclipse will begin in the area at 3:16:49 and last for around three minutes.
Fort Erie
Fort Erie will be the Ontario municipality under darkness for the longest as it will begin at around 3:18 and last for close to four minutes.
The northeastern shores of Lake Erie and the southeastern Niagara Peninsula will also have totality lasting three-plus minutes.
Crystal Beach has a town-sanctioned Total Solar Eclipse Festival that starts Saturday at Bay Beach and the Grove and Derby Road areas. Food Trucks in the Grove with a licensed area will be active all three days with concerts on three stages.
Niagara Falls
The area is expected to be under darkness for around three minutes and 32 seconds, between 3:18 p.m. and 3:21 p.m.
In January, National Geographic tagged the spot as the “most picturesque” place to view the eclipse with ideal vantage points and the “iconic waterfalls thundering in the background.”
With the city being a reasonable distance from half the population of North America, the spot is an attractive location that could potentially bring hundreds of thousands.
Certainly, right next to the waterfall will be the most popular place for tourists in the city.
Niagara Parks police anticipate that Queen Victoria Park will be the center of attention for many sightseers on Monday because it offers concerts with Glorious Sons and the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, as well as a fireworks display.
Since a large number of people are expected in the limited tourist area around the Niagara Parkway and Clifton Hill, the parks service has already announced that those roads will be closed starting at 11 a.m. on Monday.
There are several other city-approved viewing locations, including Firemen’s Park on Dorchester Road, MacBain Community Centre Park on Montrose Road and Patrick Cummings Park on Sodom Road.
Additional public viewing areas include Old Fort Erie, Kingsbridge Park, Sandie Bellows Plaza at the Niagara Parks Power Station and Tunnel, Table Rock Centre, Oakes Garden Theatre, the botanical gardens, Niagara Glen and Queenston Heights Park.
St. Catharines
The area is predicted to be in darkness for approximately three minutes between 3:18 p.m. and 3:21 p.m.
Brock University will host Eclipse on the Escarpment, which will provide various educational displays set up by the school.
Hamilton
Hamilton will be located on the northern edge of the path and will experience the maximum solar eclipse for one minute and 47 seconds between 3:18 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.
Hamilton has identified four large parks, some conservation areas and Tim Hortons Field as ideal viewing sites.
Volunteers will also be present at each of the designated locations on the day of the eclipse distributing free glasses.
Burlington
The city will witness a very brief total solar eclipse at around 3:18 p.m.
It will host an event with the mayor and city council at Spencer Smith Park from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., although city staff will be on-site distributing glasses earlier.
Northumberland County
An area in the southern end of the county stretching from Port Hope to Brighton, including Cobourg, will be covered by the darkness of a total eclipse at around 3:21 p.m., with the event expected to last a minute or two depending on your location.
The farther east you travel in the county, the longer the eclipse is expected to last.
County officials informed Global News they anticipate an increase in visitors to Victoria Beach in Cobourg as well as other waterfront communities such as Port Hope, Brighton, Grafton and Colborne.
Trenton/Quinte West
The Quite West area is expected to be impacted by the eclipse at around 3:20 p.m. for about three minutes.
A special eclipse viewing event will occur at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Prince Edward County
The eclipse is predicted to reach scenic Prince Edward County at around 3:21 p.m. and will endure for about three minutes.
While they do not have specific events planned, several parks in the area will have restroom facilities in place for Monday’s event.
Belleville
The city has not announced specific plans for the eclipse, although it is anticipating a surge in visitors.
The complete solar eclipse is projected to take place between 3:21 and 3:23 p.m. in the Belleville area.
Kingston
The city will experience the longest duration of the eclipse for about two minutes and 52 seconds between 3:22 p.m. and 3:25 p.m.
Kingston will witness the beginning of the eclipse at 2:09 p.m. on Monday, with the full eclipse reaching at 3:22 p.m. and lasting just under three minutes.
The city’s population could more than triple with up to 500,000 people expected to travel to the community to witness the eclipse if the weather is good.
Public places available for eclipse viewing include Lake Ontario Park, Fort Henry, LaSalle Secondary School, Maple Elementary School, Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area, Jim Beattie Park, J.R. Henderson Public School and Lion’s Civic Gardens & Isabel Turner Library.
Brockville
The municipality has a special viewing event planned for Blockhouse Island that will last from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The area is anticipated to experience the peak of the eclipse at about 3:24 p.m., which will endure for two minutes and 47 seconds.
Cornwall
Cornwall will be the endpoint for the eclipse in Ontario as the community, which is near the Quebec border, will have darkness come over the area at around 3:24 p.m. for about three minutes.
It will host an Eclipse Party in the Park at Lamoureux Park, which will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. with food trucks and live music.
Viewing events are scheduled at strategic locations around Kingston in an effort to avoid long periods of congested traffic after the eclipse.
Residents have been urged to refrain from driving on Monday and planned road closures will be in place to ensure routes to the hospital stay open.
— with files from The Canadian Press
