Niagara Falls, Ont., mayor, police and telecoms brace for eclipse day crowds as 1 million visitors expected

Niagara Falls, Ont., Mayor Jim Diodati says that when he goes out on April 8 to watch the total solar eclipse, he'll have packed everything he might need for the entire day.

"My plan is I'm riding my bike down there with my backpack, and it's going to be loaded with cereal bars and water bottles. I'll have, of course, my eclipse glasses and an extra charger for my cellphone," he said.

"I'm preparing as if I'm not going to be getting out of the park until late."

The city is preparing for around one million visitors that day - its most ever which could make getting around difficult.

With a projected three minutes and 32 seconds of totality - when the moon fully covers the sun - starting at 3:18 p.m. ET, Niagara Falls is marketing itself as one of the best places to see the eclipse, a celestial phenomenon that won't repeat in the Hamilton and Niagara regions for over a century.

That day, people across the continent will see the moon pass between the sun and the Earth. In some places, it will partially block out the sun. But in others - including Hamilton, Burling‐ ton, Six Nations and Niagara, all in Ontario - the moon will fully block the star's light, making this a desirable place to be for interested viewers and die-hard eclipse chasers alike.

Hotels in Niagara booked up

Niagara Falls has a variety of events planned, several of which will be run by Niagara Parks. It oversees the Nia‐ gara River corridor between Fort Erie, Ont., and Niagaraon-the-Lake, Ont., and man‐ ages attractions including the Floral Clock and the Power Station.

CEO David Adames told CBC Hamilton that while at‐ tendance is highly weather dependent, Niagara Parks sees 100,000 visitors on a typical April weekend. Many area schools have moved PA days to coincide with the eclipse, effectively giving stu‐ dents a long weekend, but this won't be a typical one.

Preparations include ex‐ tending attraction hours and bringing in portable wash‐ rooms, Adames said. He joked that the one thing offi‐ cials can't control is the weather. Diodati said a nicer day will likely mean more people. Adames predicts it will be busy regardless "be‐ cause the eclipse is going to have an effect [even if it's] cloudy or raining."

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Diodati said a documen‐ tary company that produces films around the world told the city to expect seven to nine times as many people as their biggest event. That would be Nik Wallenda's 2012 highwire walk across the falls, which 130,000 to 150,000 people came to see, he said.

Hotels are booked up, he said, and he's heard some people say their vacation rentals were booked up a year in advance.

In addition to the rela‐ tively long period of totality, Diodati figures the city's draw must include the falls.

"It's gonna be a special time," he said.

Police, GO transit mak‐ ing plans to manage traffic

Niagara Parks has its own police service, which Adames said is working with Ontario Provincial Police and local Ni‐ agara police and first respon‐ ders to prepare for crowds.

They'll be monitoring con‐ ditions throughout the weekend preceding the eclipse and will be prepared to close the Niagara Parkway between Clifton Hill and Fras‐ er Hill in Niagara Falls by noon or earlier, depending on crowding.

Diodati said the city is also working with Metrolinx in the hopes of expanding GO train service.

The provincial transit agency told CBC Hamilton its service team is "currently fi‐ nalizing plans on how the day will look," and will share more regarding Niagara Falls and any other eclipse-day changes.

"We're working on it from all angles," Diodati said of crowd management. That means working with first re‐ sponders, tourism busi‐ nesses, and planning to en‐ sure there's enough food, water, washrooms, parking and transit.

He added that other than entertaining people, part of the reason a post-eclipse concert is planned is to keep visitors from leaving all at once. He said that's based on the city's experience on re‐ cent New Year's Eve events.

In Hamilton, city officials are also making arrangemen‐ ts ahead of the day.

On a website dedicated to information about the eclipse, the city shared safety advice, which includes warn‐ ing drivers to be pay special attention to pedestrians who may be distracted by the eclipse, for people to give themselves extra travel time and about viewing the eclipse safely.

Telecoms preparing for increased cellphone us‐ age

"We know that cell capacity will be challenged," Adames said, noting his staff will have radios they'll use for commu‐ nication.

Diodati said that during New Year's Eve, it can be slow to send a text, so the city is expecting the same disrup‐ tions on eclipse day. He ad‐ ded the city is working with telecoms to bring in mobile towers.

Bell spokesperson Rachel Jaskula told CBC Hamilton the company is working to ensure its network "contin‐ ues to run optimally" in re‐ gions it anticipates large crowds to gather.

This includes pausing maintenance work that can impact capacity and monitor‐ ing usage levels, Jaskula wrote in an email.

"We will be monitoring us‐ age levels and have portable cell on wheels, called COWs, ready to be placed nearby to add capacity for increased in‐ ternet and voice usage."

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An emailed statement from Rogers said the telecom company is "getting ready to handle the potential increase in wireless traffic in regions of total eclipse."

Cogeco spokesperson Kristen Curry said the provider does not anticipate interruptions to its home phone or internet services. It does not offer cellphone ser‐ vices in Canada.

Diodati's eclipse sur‐ vival guide

Overall, "we're trying to walk that fine line where it's going to be safe and fun," Diodati said. "We're excited. And then, it's keeping me up at night.

"We're asking people to be prepared for whatever be‐ cause none of us totally know [what will happen]. We'll do as much as we possi‐ bly can."

Here's some of Diodati's advice for eclipse viewers in Niagara Falls:

Expect traffic, crowds and limited parking. Pack any food, drinks and medication you may need that day. Bring a phone charger. Arrive early. If you're driving, fill up on gas.

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