The April 8 solar eclipse will bring the largest number of tourists to Niagara Falls

Seeing one of the natural sights of the sky next to one of the Seven Wonders of North America is expected to draw about one million people to the area to see the eclipse, the largest number of tourists in Niagara Falls history, the mayor of Niagara Falls said Saturday. This rare solar eclipse is expected to be first visible in Mexico around 11:07 am local time; before moving on to parts of southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

Several parts of southern Ontario will see partial shade, but in Niagara Falls, as well as the nearby communities of Hamilton and Grimsby, people can see about four minutes of total darkness between 2 and 4 p.m.

The Niagara Region has declared a state of emergency so locals and visitors should prepare to travel and wear solar eclipse glasses.

The mayor of this area asked the people to have enough gas in the tank of the car because there is a possibility of blocking the traffic due to the influx of people. He also encouraged people to travel to the area by train if possible.

The influx of visitors, including scientists from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, is so great that most of the city's hotels are booked, and people are now renting out their backyards to visitors.

The last time the city saw the largest group of visitors was in 2012, when Nick Wallenda made history by ziplining over Niagara Falls.

The Niagara Regional Municipality has also asked internet companies to increase bandwidth near the falls so that people can stay online or call their loved ones to enjoy these moments with them.

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