The Municipality of Brighton says it is taking all precautions necessary to prepare for Monday’s total solar eclipse.
“From the Municipality of Brighton’s perspective, we’ve tried to leverage all of partners’ information at Northumberland County’s emergency services – we’re working with Brighton fire and Brighton public works, to ensure that all precautions are going to be taken if there’s a large influx of people coming in for the day, or days leading up even,” said Ben Hagerman, manager of economic development and communications for the municipality.
Just how many people may make their way here come Monday to take in the celestial spectacle remains unknown – it’s hard to predict that in Brighton, which doesn’t have a lot of measures to handle predictive data in terms of hotel rooms and the like, like in the larger urban areas, explained Hagerman.
However, while Brighton isn’t expecting an influx like in some of the larger urban centres, the municipality is anticipating an increase in daytime activities and potentially congested roads on Monday, April 8.
Residents should be prepared Monday and for potential congestion on the roads – especially Hwy. 401 – and expect possible delays if travelling, said Hagerman.
Where possible, residents are encouraged to plan alternate routes. Other ways residents can be prepared are by simply making sure they have lots of gas in vehicles, supplies at home, et cetera, in case supply does become an issue given an influx of visitors, explained Hagerman, who also echoed safety messaging around proper eyewear for the big day.
“The solar eclipse sunglasses are about 1,000 times more protective than a regular pair of sunglasses, and viewing the eclipse with regular sunglasses will damage your eyesight,” reiterated Hagerman.
Area residents who can view the rare celestial event from home/their properties are encouraged to do so to avoid adding more congestion on roads.
In terms of emergency preparedness, Hagerman said plans are in place.
“I know that Brighton fire … is going to be posting fire vehicles at certain key areas throughout the municipality to ensure really quick response times, even if roads are congested (and) so that we’re not delayed on response times in any type of an emergency. I also know that Brighton public works staff are going to be ready in case of an emergency and rerouting and directing traffic becomes a priority,” added Hagerman.
“We’re taking all precautions necessary.”
Northumberland County is also continuing to urge residents to prioritize safety during the upcoming solar eclipse.
“While we are excited to witness this rare event, our top priority is the safety of residents,” said Warden Brian Ostrander, who also serves as mayor of Brighton. “We are anticipating a large influx of visitors to our community, so we urge everyone to take the necessary precautions and follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.”
Northumberland County is also taking steps to enhance emergency readiness, including increasing paramedic staffing, having roads crews on standby, and adjusting other operations where possible. Officials also said the county is prepared to activate its emergency operations centre (EOC) as required.
A list of recommended safety precautions and tips for the day for residents is accessible online. The county also has more information and posts updates around the solar eclipse via Northumberland.ca/NoCoEclipse.
The county is also continuing to monitor the weather and event activities for Monday and remains in close communication with partner municipalities and Emergency Management Ontario, added officials.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
