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's packing 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 cell phone," 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, Burlington, Ont., Six Nations, Ont., and Niagara — 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.

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

CEO David Adames told CBC Hamilton that while attendance 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 students a long weekend, but this won't be a typical one.

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

Diodati said a documentary 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 relatively long period of totality, Diodati figures the city's draw must include the falls.

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

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