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Thursday, December 12, 2024
Ross’s Ramblings: Say what? Niagara Region uses emergency power to postpone eclipse to Wednesday
Look up. Look way up. If the skies co-operate on Monday, you will see the eclipse of a lifetime in Niagara. Or has Niagara Region decided to postpone the celestial event? Hmmmm.

The promotion of our time in the Path of Totality has been impressive and I have admittedly been a wet blanket.

I haven’t shied away from declaring that I don’t think Niagara Falls will see a million visitors. Maybe 50,000. Or maybe I’m wrong.

But let us look a little deeper.

Niagara Region declared a pre-emptive state of emergency, which accesses more money for preparation and logistical support. Good on the region. Mayor Jim Diodati tells us that Guinness will be here to judge a world record attempt. NASA, too.

With over a million eclipse chasers predicted to be in Niagara Falls for the big celestial event, it has been all hands on deck to prepare.

I heard from a usually reliable source yesterday, that Mayor Diodati has engaged Sean Spicer, former U.S. president Trump’s crowd-size estimator, to put a number on the turnout to view the eclips.

Remember after the Trump inauguration when Spicer shamelessly said the crowd around the Ellipse in front of the U.S. capitol had been the biggest in history?

Kellyanne Conway backed him up in her irritating, finger nails on a blackboard way.

So now, from the ellipse to the eclipse, in one easy step.

Earlier today I received a phone call from Niagara Region’s communications department. They realized that even with all the emergency personnel, traffic management experts and their sewage surge team working to ensure a smooth eclipse experience for the estimated one million visitors, they just won’t be ready in time for the totality on April 8, mid-afternoon.

So, they have pre-emptively postponed the eclipse for two days, until Wednesday, April 10.

Out of an abundance of caution and all that bureaucratic bumpf.

Belated April Fool’s Day, eh?

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