Solar Eclipse 2024
Where & when to see the total eclipse of the sun in Canada
On April 8th, 2024, parts of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes will experience a total solar eclipse. This means that for a brief moment, the moon will pass between the sun and the earth, completely blocking our view of the sun.
Scroll down to read more about Canadian eclipse locations and events. If you'd like to see a detailed map of where the eclipse will be at any given time on April 8th, please refer to this interactive map.
Special glasses have to be worn to protect the eyes from the sun and avoid serious eye injury. Regular sunglasses are not enough. Please follow all safety guidelines when viewing the partial or total eclipse.
Path of the solar eclipse in North America.
If you are not able to see the eclipse in person, or if clouds obscure the view, you can stream it live here.
Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island
The first communities to see the solar eclipse in Canada will be those along the Lake Erie shoreline.
The Windor-Essex-Pelee Island area will be hosting numerous events throughout the day in celebration of the solar eclipse, from a family-friendly event on the shores of Lake Erie to Solar Eclipse cruises.
Click here to see the full event guide for this region.
Golden Horseshoe
Although Toronto, Canada's largest city, is not on the path of solar eclipse totality, it will experience a partial eclipse.
Within the Golden Horseshoe, Hamilton will be one of the communities that will experience a total eclipse.
The Niagara region is planning events all weekend long in honour of the total solar eclipse. You can see all the events planned at Niagara Parks, including the Power Station and Old Fort Erie, in the guide here.
Eastern Ontario
Belleville, Prince Edward County, Kingston, the 1000 Islands and Cornwall are all the the path of totality for April's solar eclipse. More information on local times is available here, from the Belleville Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Events will take place throughout the region. Kingston, for example, has a dedicated site for all local eclipse events, which you can visit here, including a weekend of family-friendly activities at Fort Henry.
And the Town of Gananoque in the Thousand Islands area will host a "Total Eclipse of the Park” at Joel Stone Park, as well as other events throughout the weekend prior.
Montreal
Montreal is the largest city on the solar eclipse path of totality, although the path doesn't quite encompass the larger Montreal area. Downtown is fully in the coverage zone but those in Laval, for example, will only be able to see near-totality.
This video below explains the experience in great detail and is worth a watch:
Parc Jean-Drapeau will be hosting an event, complete with experts from the Planetarium on hand to answer questions.
Eastern Townships
Quebec's Eastern Townships will be hosting a series of events throughout the region to mark the passing of the solar eclipse, including a special event at the ASTROLab at the Parc national du Mont-Mégantic.
For a full list of local events, please click here.
New Brunswick
The eclipse path will move through a large portion of New Brunswick's centre, including through its capital city. Fredericton has an entire weekend of events lined up to celebrate the eclipse. You can stay up-to-date with events here.
For a list of events in Western New Brunswick, visit here and for other destinations in the province, look to the Tourism New Brunswick guide.
Prince Edward Island
The western half of PEI is on the path of totality, including Summerside. The region within the path goes from Bedeque to North Rustico .
Nova Scotia
The path of totality is missing most of Nova Scotia, but it will touch the northern tip of Cape Breton Island.
Newfoundland
Central Newfoundland is on the path of totality for the April eclipse, although the province's largest city, St. John's, is not.
Places to see the total eclipse include Channel-Port aux Basques, Grand Falls-Windsor, and the Bonavista Peninsula.
Are you planning a trip to one of the communities on the path of totality? As this spectacular and rare celestial event unfolds over parts of Eastern Canada, an influx of visitors might mean accommodations will become hard to find. Plan ahead and reach out to us if you'd like help planning a solar eclipse getaway.
