Julio Cesar Rivas
Toronto (Canada), March 30 (EFE). – A state of emergency, closed schools, a million tourists, and exorbitant prices. This is how Canada's southernmost Niagara region is preparing for the total eclipse that will occur on April 8.
On Friday, the Niagara Region declared a “proactive” state of emergency in preparation for the astronomical event “to protect the health and safety of residents and visitors as well as to protect “critical infrastructure” in any scenario that may occur.”
The declaration of a state of emergency comes in response to the expectations of the Canadian authorities that the town of Niagara Falls, famous for its Niagara Falls, will receive one million visitors on April 8 who want to see the total eclipse.
This phenomenon will be visible in large areas of Mexico and the United States. But in Canada, the band of complete darkness can only be observed in the southernmost regions of the east of the country, almost on the border with the United States.
Located just a 90-minute drive from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada's most populous region with a population of 6.3 million, Niagara Falls is the perfect place to watch the conjunction of the sun and moon.
Furthermore, in parts of Canada such as Quebec, where the phenomenon will also be visible in its closest proximity to the United States, a total eclipse has not occurred in more than 50 years. The next event for Quebecers will not happen for another 80 years.
On this occasion, Montreal, the main city of Quebec, is in a zone of total darkness.
The eclipse will begin to occur in Canada around 3:00 pm local time (7:00 pm GMT) on April 8. The last point in Canadian geography where it will be visible will be the town of Gander on the island of Labrador (in the Atlantic Ocean), at 19:42 GMT on Monday, April 8.
Since the eclipse will occur close to school leaving time, authorities in some locations have decided to suspend classes on that day.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Canada's largest school board by number of students and schools, has canceled its activities even though the eclipse in Toronto will only be partial.
The school administration expressed its fear that children might look directly at the astronomical phenomenon while they are at school or immediately after they leave the classroom.
“Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse, without proper protection, can cause serious problems including complete or partial loss of vision,” the TDSB said in a statement.
“There are also traffic concerns as thousands of children will return home at the end of the day in temporary darkness,” the council added.
Those who enjoy the eclipse are the hotels in Negara Falls.
The million people the resort expects to welcome on April 8 are 10 million more than those who turned out in 2012 to watch tightrope walker Nik Wallenda cross the falls on a steel cable, the largest crowd yet at Niagara Falls.
Likewise, local hotels multiplied the rates they will charge residents of their facilities on April 8 by at least 10: a room that normally cost $100 now costs $1,100.
Hotels have even resorted to canceling reservations made in some cases more than a year ago, at usual prices, to accommodate tourists willing to pay exorbitant amounts.
It's a seemingly legal but ethically questionable practice that will be possible thanks to the darkness that the total eclipse on April 8 will bring. Evie
jcr
