Now that most of the school boards in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have declared April 8 a PA Day, many of you are probably considering using it as an opportunity to take your kids, tweens and teens to experience the 2024 solar eclipse. We’re making this a multigenerational family affair and heading to Fort Henry in Kingston, not only because they have extensive programming planned for a five-hour stretch (so it doesn’t feel like we’re driving 200+ kms for a three-minute event), but also because I figure it’s one of the best ways to ensure there’s a parking spot waiting for me.
Maybe you’re thinking, “What’s the big deal? Don’t we have eclipses every year or so?” Yes, there are partial and annular solar eclipses as well as total lunar eclipses but they’re not the same as a total solar eclipse like the one on April 8. Those are super rare and we’re pretty lucky to experience one in our lifetime.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon will completely cover the sun, creating a rare cosmic event not seen here in the last 700 years. And the next celestial spectacle like this won’t be until 2399, so we probably won’t make it to that one.
What makes this eclipse extra-special for those of us in or near southeastern Ontario is that, geographically, parts of this region are within the prime viewing area. Only a few regions in the entire province fall into this extremely narrow viewing strip called the “path of totality.” Kingston — just 195 km southwest of Ottawa and 260 km northeast of Toronto — is one of them.
Solar eclipse activities at Fort Henry in Kingston (and nearby)
At this point, forget a hotel stay…they’re likely all booked or at super premium pricing. But for those of us everywhere from Ottawa to the GTA, Kingston is an easy two- to three-hour drive, making it a perfect day trip. How lucky are we to be within easy driving distance to front-row solar eclipse seats?!
Many events are happening all across the Kingston area in the weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse and on April 8, of course. This includes special programming at Fort Henry in Kingston and special solar eclipse viewing areas like Grass Creek Park. Here’s a handy map that pinpoints all of the best viewing areas across Kingston.
PRO TIP: the City of Kingston is offering free public transit on April 8!
As I mentioned, we’ve decided to pack up the fam-jam and head to Fort Henry in Kingston for its festivities. Here’s what’s happening there on April 8:
- Programming from 12 to 5 p.m.
- Special guests — including Bob McDonald from CBC’s Quirks & Quarks (squee!); Nicholas Swindinsky, a physics graduate student who’s using rare radioactive decays to find the dark matter in the universe; and media personality Bill Welychka as emcee for the day
- Local entertainers — Willy Nilly, Savannah Shea and The Mill Rights
- Educational crafts and activities
- An artisan market
And the best part? It’s all FREE — you just need to pre-register here [click “pre-register for free now”]. Oh, and free eclipse glasses will be available onsite, too! (But, since you drove all the way to Fort Henry in Kingston, you should also know there’s also a paid admission option here [click “purchase ticket”] that gets you inside the Fort on April 8 to experience the Fort itself and access to the prime viewing area for just $10 per person.)
For more information, and to see additional programming at the Fort from April 5-8, 2024, visit Fort Henry’s solar eclipse page.
When is the 2024 total solar eclipse?
In Ontario, the solar eclipse is expected to start on April 8, 2024, at 2:04 p.m. and last about two and a half hours. The sun will be fully eclipsed from approximately 3:20 to 3:23 p.m. EDT. It will travel eastward and be most visible in communities including Belleville, Kingston and Cornwall at 3:21, 3:22 and 3:24 p.m., respectively.
What to bring with you
Remember: the reason school boards moved PA Days around is because as cool and rare as this eclipse will be, it needs to be treated with careful safety precautions. Whether you’re planning to sit in your backyard or make the trek to Kingston like we are, consider making a must-have list to properly prepare for April 8, including:
- Proper solar eclipse glasses (these should be ISO-certified). Be sure to inspect them before you use them; if you see any tears, scratches or anything that looks like even the tiniest bit of damage, TOSS THEM. Most important…closely supervise children and teens who are using/wearing solar eclipse glasses to ensure a snug fit around the nose, the sides (periphery) and along the forehead
- A baseball cap, just to be sure any extra rays don’t peek into your eyes from above your solar eclipse glasses
- Lawn chairs if you plan to watch at, say, a public park
- Your smartphone, to take selfies in your solar eclipse glasses before and after the eclipse. But do NOT look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays can and will absolutely burn through the filter and cause serious and permanent eye injuries. The damage is instant and severe, so please don’t mess around
FUN FACT: You can view the eclipse directly without eye protection only when the moon completely obscures the sun, during totality — those very brief three-or-so minutes noted above. (Once you can no longer see even a sliver of the sun through your solar eclipse glasses, this is the moment when it’s safe to look according to experts.)
As soon as you see even a tiny shred of the sun start to reappear — or better still, a full minute before totality is set to end just to be extra-cautious — hurry up and get those solar eclipse glasses back on. You can learn more about eclipse safety here.
Visit Kingston’s dedicated solar eclipse page for more ideas and additional events, parking info and more. Looking for alternatives to Fort Henry in Kingston? There are also viewing opportunities in Brockville, 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways, Prince Edward County, and Lennox and Addington.
DISCLAIMER: Southeastern Ontario compensated me for this post, but we really are heading to Fort Henry in Kingston to watch the 2024 solar eclipse! This suggestion and all other opinions expressed here are authentically mine. By viewing the total solar eclipse in any capacity, you understand the risks and accept all personal liability.
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