Prince Edward County is already preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime event that is expected to bring an influx of visitors to the area next spring.
The County is in what’s called the “path of totality” of a rare total solar eclipse on April 8 where the sun will be completely blocked by the moon.
The path of totality is approximately 185 km wide stretching across the United States and Canada.
In Picton, the total eclipse is predicted to begin at 3:21 p.m. and last for three minutes and two seconds.
While it won’t last long, Fire Chief Chad Brown says people are expected to travel to areas like Prince Edward County to see this extremely rare celestial event that won’t happen again until 2399.
“We want to make sure that we have the resources and some planning done so that as the tourists come in for the day to observe the solar eclipse, we have things like maybe some washroom facilities and different things open because it’s also a difficult time of year in the sense that we don’t necessarily have our tourism businesses open to accommodate all of the tourists that we’re expecting in the County.”
The County’s Municipal Emergency Control Group and several community partners met last week for a preliminary discussion about the event.
“We could have everything from snow on the ground, freezing rain. We’re also in flooding season, traditionally in the spring. So it’s kinda one of these events that happens with a lot of other occurrences.”
The group will meet in the months ahead, with the frequency of meetings increasing closer to the date of the total solar eclipse.
Updates and information will be posted on the County website, shared on social media (Facebook and X/Twitter), and distributed through the County’s news and notices mailing list.
The municipality is also reminding residents and visitors who plan on viewing the eclipse to use proper eye protection as doing so without it could lead to permanent eye damage.
Learn more about how to view a solar eclipse safely.