Monday’s eclipse attracted visitors to Niagara, but not in the numbers anticipated, said Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire Chief Jay Plato.
Nor was it the day that was expected, or at least hoped for, with a cloud cover that prevented the appearance of the spectacular totality that was predicted.
But nobody was complaining about the dramatic, once-in-a-generation event that occurred Monday afternoon across the region.
In NOTL, as the eclipse ended without incident and the fire department staff and volunteers could take a deep breathe and relax a little, Plato told The Local the number of people in town “was not what was originally forecast. It was busy in the Old Town, but a weekend in the summer would have been busier.”
The crowds were not at the levels predicted in Niagara Falls, Fort Erie or around the region, he added. And what spectators saw when they looked up was a sky of clouds before darkness descended, bringing with it a chilling drop in temperature, clouds parting for a brief view of the full black circle and halo of light, making the event as unforgettable as everyone was banking on.
“There were no calls to the fire department,” Plato said. During the course of the day, fire trucks were making rounds through town, and what they saw in general “seemed like a tame day in NOTL.”
The NOTL emergency control group would be meeting Tuesday to discuss how the day played out, and the municipal emergency committee groups would also meet to discuss how it had gone.
Regarding the regional decision to call for a state of emergency, Plato said, “with emergency management, it’s better to be over-prepared and underwhelmed than overwhelmed and under-prepared.”
The region made the call based on the information they had, as did NOTL with its “soft” road closures in Queenston and the Old Town, not knowing what the situation would be, said the fire chief.
Regional Chair Jim Bradley officially rescinded the emergency declaration for Niagara at 5:45 p.m. Monday, the eclipse event “having concluded without incident.”
“This proactive declaration,” the regional statement says, “facilitated the coordination of dozens of organizations, a number of provincial ministries and agencies, and thousands of volunteers. Given the high levels of collaboration on all fronts, and heightened awareness among the public, the declaration has served its purpose and is no longer required to be in place.”
Plato was at the Old Town fire station on Anderson Lane waiting for calls when the eclipse began. “You could see the darkness come at you across the clouds,” he said. “And then it got brighter again, it seemed to be instantly. It was pretty interesting to watch.”
During the eclipse, a group of 60 to 70 neighbours gathered on Moseby Street in The Village, and proved the point that the eclipse was as much about a sense of community as a rare celestial occurrence. “it was a great success, even without a clear sky, ” said Ina Troutbeck, one to the organizers of the street party.
They were well prepared, with eclipse-related raffle prizes, glow-in-the-dark accessories, Moon Pies, Sun Chips, themed cocktails, and chairs set up as a viewing station, she said. “There was a nice flow on the street, and we watched it getting really dark, it got really cold, then there was a split in the sky that looked like an amazing sunset. It would have been even more amazing if it had been a sunny day, but it was still a great feeling. Everyone felt really good about getting together for it.”
John Leeson, gathered with a small crowd in Fort Erie, said he has travelled afar on other occasions to catch a glimpse of a total solar eclipse. But on Monday, he drove only about 150 kilometres from Toronto to Fort Erie to experience the rarity at a popular spot for gathering for the event in the border town, while he and his wife also had the chance to stay with a long-time friend who lives close to Lake Erie.
Lesson has been to Oregon, Hawaii, and Libya, specifically travelling to these places to see the moon cover the sun for a period of time.
Fort Erie was predicted by experts to provide the longest totality in Canada, at three minutes and 46 seconds, according to The Weather Network.
“You feel the awe of the universe when you get that totality,” said Leeson, a couple of hours before the eclipse started, walking along Lakeshore Road-Niagara Parkway as crowds started to form.
Even though the clouds parted enough that onlookers were able to see the eclipse, the weather wasn’t shaping up to be ideal, which Leeson said may have discouraged some people about heading to Niagara for the event.
He admitted he’s a bit of a fanatic about solar eclipses after naming all the places he’s been to see one.
“It takes you to places you might never get to,” said Leeson.
Niagara Parks spokesperson Katy Wassenaar said an estimated 1,000 people watched the solar eclipse from Niagara Parks property in Fort Erie, which also includes Old Fort Erie.
Town spokesperson Kevin Beauchamp said a total of up to 8,000 people were in public spaces in Fort Erie to catch the rare spectacle, including Niagara Parks properties.
Another community along Lake Erie that was being touted as being one of the best viewing spots in Canada was Port Colborne.
An event hosted at Vale Health and Wellness Centre drew between 800 and 1,000 people, said City of Port Colborne spokesperson Jasmine Peazel-Graham.
In Thorold, people came together at Mel Swart Conservation Area. Residents, sitting on lawn chairs and blankets all throughout the park, loudly cheered as the eclipse peaked through the cloud cover for the very first time.
The streets surrounding the park were lined with cars as the parking lot was already at capacity shortly after 2 p.m.. This didn’t put a damper on festivities, as droves of people cheerfully dragged their chairs and blankets to the park entrance.
Other parks in Thorold, such as Battle of Beaverdams Park and Port Robinson Park drew less of a crowd, but people still sought each other’s company to witness the epic solar event.
Bill Cochrane was watching the eclipse from his village of Queenston home, where he had a perfect view of the Brock Monument. “It was bizarre, seeing the night lights come on like at sunset, progressing up the monument” from its base to the top, fully lit in seconds. “And it got bitterly cold, then just as quickly grew warm again.”
It was also eerily quiet, Cochrane said, and felt peaceful, with no movement at all, as if the village was asleep.
Then, just as suddenly, the bunnies he always sees were back, the birds were chirping, “and it was like everyone woke up at once. It was over.”
With files from Bernard Lansbergen and Kris Dube.
