Chatham-Kent gears up for spectacular Solar Eclipse: Preparations, safety measures, and viewing tips unveiled

Local Journalism Initiative
·4 min read

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is preparing for a large influx of visitors for next week’s solar eclipse.

And they are keeping their fingers crossed that it will be a nice, sunny day so residents can experience this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

Chatham-Kent’s Lake Erie shoreline is along the narrow path of Southern Ontario, which will experience a 100 percent total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.

The partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. when the moon’s edge first touches the sun’s edge as the light levels and temperature drop dramatically by 3 p.m.

The total eclipse will be about two and a half minutes in duration, with the maximum level at 3:15.34.

By 3:39 p.m., temperatures and light levels return to normal, and the phenomenon is entirely over at 4:28 p.m.

Total solar eclipses are once-in-a-lifetime events in any particular area, as the last to occur in Southern Ontario was in 1925, and the next one won’t be until 2144.

The last total eclipse in the province was on February 26, 1979, in Northern Ontario, and the next won’t happen again over the province until 2099.

Municipal officials expect Rondeau Park and the village of Erieau to be the main destinations for not only Chatham-Kent residents but hundreds more from neighbouring counties, other parts of the province, and the United States.

Rondeau Park will have regular visiting hours and admission fees next Monday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and washroom facilities will be available.

The South Kent parks maintenance team will decide closer to April 8 whether the washroom facilities at the beach in Erieau will be open.

If the forecast calls for freezing temperatures, the washroom will remain closed to prevent possible damage to the plumbing, and portable toilets will be set up on the beach.

Other open spaces along the coastline are also expected to draw large crowds.

Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue Chief Chris Case said a planning committee of local emergency services, which first met about a year ago, is prepared for the expected influx of visitors and crowded roadways along the shoreline.

Case said Chatham-Kent Police has a traffic plan in place, while CK Fire will set up a command post and medical centre at Erieau Fire Station 14.

He said there will be rescue craft on the lake and Rondeau Bay to handle any emergencies with people on the water to watch the eclipse.

“We’re not seeing any huge events being planned (here). Most of the provincial resources are looking towards the Niagara Region, where they’re expecting in excess of a million people,” Case said, as Niagara Falls, Welland, St. Catharines, and the surrounding area are the closest parts of the province to the centre of the eclipse line.

“After going through the eclipse in 1999 back home (England), it is quite the spectacle, and we do expect a lot of people to show up here,” Case said.

Michael Duben credited Chief Case, who first brought the eclipse and possible challenges to the municipality’s attention “about a year ago, to some ridicule,” he said with a laugh. I think we’ve all learned that it is potentially a challenge for us to manage, but I’m confident we have it under control.”

“We understand it’s going to be a big deal for the region, and we’re working with our partners to make sure everyone is safe,” Duben said.

One major concern was alleviated when the Lambton-Kent and St. Clair Catholic District School Boards announced over a month ago that it was rescheduling a Professional Activity Day from later in the month to next Monday so children will be supervised at home.

Like other boards across the province, LKDSB and SCCDSB officials were concerned that the eclipse would take place at the same time as schools were being dismissed, causing children to not be supervised and to be in danger of eye injuries.

Health officials remind everyone that it is not safe to look at the sun without eye protection during the total eclipse, whether you’re on the lakeshore or in your backyard in town, as looking at even a small sliver before or after the eclipse without eye protection can be harmful to your vision.

Residents are reminded to wear CE-certified glasses with special filters that meet the Transmission Requirements of ISO 12312-2:2015 to watch all the eclipse phases and avoid temporary or serious eye damage.

It is not safe to use magnifying devices, such as cell phones, camera lenses, binoculars or a telescope, without a special-purpose solar filter.

Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe.

Health impacts may include retinal burns, blurred vision and possible loss of eyesight.

The Chatham-Kent Public Library has run out of approved glasses, but they are still available at many local stores and online.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has set up an online page with various links dedicated to the solar eclipse. You can find it by googling ‘VisitCK Plan Your Trip Solar Eclipse 2024’.

Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News

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