Artist’s rendition of a total solar eclipse. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
Renfrew’s residents appear to be making their own plans for the total solar eclipse coming up on April 8th.
Mel Blimke with A Sense of Country on Raglan Street says people are dropping by the downtown curio shop to pick up solar eclipse glasses from him by the bunch over the past while.
He says a bit of preparation ahead of time has kept his clientele from coming up empty handed.
Speaking with customers, he’s figures that the rush has been mostly older shoppers hosting private family gatherings who want to make sure their kids and grandkids can experience the rare celestial phenomenon safely.
Blimke says that, if calls into the store and social media messages count for anything, the solar eclipse has caught the interest of many Renfrew residents regardless of age.
The total solar eclipse will plunge the Ottawa Valley into darkness over a two-hour period starting just before 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 8th.
Town officials say they don’t have anything special planned for the event at the moment, but are offering safety tips for viewing and travelling during the event on their social media.
(written by Kasey Egan)