The wait is coming to an end: Monday afternoon, for the first time in 92 years, it will be “night” in broad daylight in Montreal. Yesterday, different gathering places in southern Quebec were putting the final touches to their preparations, with tens of thousands of people expected there to observe the eclipse. The excitement was felt from the metropolis to Mont Mégantic.
In Montreal, it is at Jean-Drapeau Park that the flagship event of this day like no other is being prepared. Scientific kiosks will await amateur astronomers, who will also be able to hear the music of DJ Champion and Diane Dufresne. Astronomer Laurie Rousseau-Nepton and astronaut David Saint-Jacques will make sure to clarify the phenomenon to the general public.
“We are ready, obviously, and we are electrified! » said enthusiastically Véronique Doucet, general director of the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau. “Every event has its signature, but this one is really special,” she says, not only because of its scientific nature, but also because we don’t know how many people will show up.
“Just on our side, in terms of organization, we are talking about around 500 people,” specifies M.me Doucet. And that’s without counting the security services. Organizers will distribute 150,000 protective glasses free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Activities will be concentrated at Espace 67, near the Jean-Drapeau metro station exit, but the entire park will remain accessible.
Road access is also likely to be in heavy demand, especially since certain parking spaces have been reserved to accommodate visitors if space were to run out on the main site. “We strongly suggest that people come to our islands by metro,” adds the general director.
Activities are also organized across the city, notably in the Old Port, where science educators from the Montreal Science Center will explain this rare phenomenon to curious people, while Cirque du Soleil will provide entertainment.
But if the frenzy has taken over the metropolis, in Estrie, it’s madness.
“The stars align” at Mont Mégantic
At the ASTROLab in Parc national du Mont-Mégantic, the total eclipse will last 3 minutes 28 seconds, approximately two and a half times longer than at Parc Jean-Drapeau. “We are the capital of astronomy, and the stars align for us,” rejoices Marie-Georges Bélanger, responsible for customer service and marketing for the national park.
Host André Robitaille and several ASTROLab experts will be on hand for a special live broadcast from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the institution’s social networks. In the region, several parks and other gathering places will also broadcast the show. All 2,500 tickets to attend in person have been sold.
The park mobilized around a hundred employees for the occasion. “We have a lot of[anciens] employees who come as reinforcements,” says Mme Bélanger. “We’ve been preparing for months” for the event, she assures. “We’re ready and we’re really looking forward to it! »
The Eastern Townships taken by storm
“In the Eastern Townships, there are more than fifty officially designated organized observation sites,” indicates Lysandre Michaud-Verreault, director of representation and communications at Tourisme Cantons-de-l’. East. “These can accommodate between 60,000 and 80,000 people. » Many organized sites are free and do not require reservations.
In total, traffic in the region is difficult to predict, according to Mme Michaud-Verreault, “but we know that eclipses displace hundreds of thousands of people, so we expect these kinds of figures.”
The hotel occupancy rate for the weekend which ends, including Sunday evening, is 99% in almost all of the nine MRCs in the region, she says, while the occupancy rate average is usually between 31% and 39% in April.
Unsurprisingly, the accommodation and outdoor activities company Au Diable Vert is fully booked. Located in Glen Sutton, near the United States border, it is where the eclipse will last the longest in Quebec, 3 minutes 31 seconds.
A show will be hosted by two astronomers affiliated with the planetarium located on site. Owner Jeremy Fontana expects about 500 people Monday, whether in the outdoor amphitheater or elsewhere on site.
“People are just realizing that the experience is going to be truly magical,” according to Mr. Fontana, who expects the region to welcome several eclipse chasers from regions where the weather will be less clement.
A helping hand from Mother Nature
Weather-wise, “the conditions should be ideal,” according to Dominique Martel, meteorologist at Environment Canada. The sky looks clear throughout southern Quebec.
“In Ontario, they are not as lucky as us,” he adds. In Niagara Falls, which has declared a state of emergency, expecting to welcome up to a million visitors, clouds risk spoiling the show. “If I were in that region, I would perhaps drive a few hours, if it is something that is close to my heart, to come to the Quebec side. »
In a press release released last Friday, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility predicted heavier traffic in regions where the eclipse will be visible, which will complicate travel on the road. To motorists who would be tempted to stop to observe the thing, “the Ministry reminds that it is prohibited to stop on the shoulders”.