City of Kingston, Ont. says cloud forecast might have limited number of visitors for eclipse

People look towards the sun as darkness falls during the totality phase of a total solar eclipse, in Kingston, Ont., Monday, April 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

The City of Kingston, Ont. says the "solar-bration" of the total solar eclipse on Monday was "truly a day to remember."

According to a news release from the city, more than 10,000 people spent the night in hotels in the Limestone City and approximately 20,000 people sought out prime viewing spots around Kingston for the celestial event, including 1,500 people at Grass Creek Park.

"Thank you to the community and our residents who helped by experiencing the eclipse from their neighbourhoods, this allowed us to reopen roads and resume service sooner and faster than planned," says Brad Joyce, Commissioner of Infrastructure, Transportation and Emergency Management. "The reduction of daily vehicle travel was substantial and made it much easier to maintain emergency services, health service access and transit."

While the City of Kingston is declaring the day a success, the number of visitors falls well short of the estimated 500,000 people officials said they were expecting.

The city said the anticipated cloud forecast likely deterred many day trip visitors, but local residents were still able to take in the event.

More than 170,000 pairs of eclipse glasses were handed out. The City of Kingston says if you're wondering what to do with them now that the eclipse is over, you can keep them as a souvenir or donate them to Utilities Kingston or the Tourism Kingston’s Visitor Information Centre, which will pass the glasses on to the group Astronomers Without Borders, who will give them to children in other countries for a future eclipse.

You can recycle used glasses by removing the lenses, putting the plastic in the trash and putting the remaining cardboard frame in the recycling.