Businesses in the Eastern Townships are expecting exceptional attendance during the total eclipse, with many inns and hotels already fully booked, while the month of April usually represents the off season.
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“It’s like summer!” exclaims Donald Lavoie, owner of Aux Berges de l’Aurore, in Notre-Dame-des-Bois.
Usually, he and his partner take time off in April, there are so few tourists during this dead period stuck between cross-country skiing and summer vacation.
But, for the weekend preceding April 8, this hostel has been 100% booked for several months. It must be said that it is located less than 2 kilometers from Mont Mégantic.
“I didn’t increase my prices, but I could have,” admits Mr. Lavoie.
He is one of the merchants who intend to take advantage of the windfall of visitors who will be attracted by the perfect location of the Eastern Townships for observing the solar eclipse.
The total eclipse will last nearly 3 minutes and 30 seconds in several places in Estrie, compared to around 1 minute and 25 seconds in downtown Montreal.
Source: eclipsequebec.ca
“I think there will be a crowd in the region,” predicts Benoit Paquette, of Hébergement aux Cinq Sens, in Piopolis, which rents various campsites, yurts, tiny houses and eco-chalets.
“There’s almost nothing left. When we saw that the snow was melting a lot, we reopened a small campsite that we have on the edge of a stream. They are [fait réserver] right away.”
The central line of the totality band of the eclipse passes right across its terrain. Its customers will therefore be able to boast of having witnessed the eclipse for 1 or 2 seconds longer than at the ASTROLab in Mont-Mégantic park, specifies Mr. Paquette, who is himself an amateur astronomer.
Sherbrooke almost 100%
Even in Magog, the youth hostel is already full for the night of April 7 to 8.
In fact, the entire Estrie region can expect exceptional attendance, indicates Lysandre Michaud-Verreault, of Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est.
The forty observation locations organized in Estrie will be able to accommodate between 50,000 and 75,000 people, not counting those who will watch the eclipse from “unorganized locations,” she estimates.
Accommodations in the Sherbrooke and North Hatley sectors are already reporting very high occupancy rates of 95% to 100%, she illustrates.
Many restaurateurs normally closed on Sunday or Monday intend to open so as not to let this window of opportunity slip away, she adds.
“Arrive early”
The good news for latecomers is that there are still free and affordable places available in the Magog area and in Brome-Missisquoi, which are also very well located.
“The message we want to send is: avoid traveling during the eclipse. Arrive early,” suggests Mme Michaud-Verreault.
Note that in 2017, the eclipse visible in the United States caused massive road congestion.