Celebrate the Solar Eclipse with TRCA

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. This will be the last total solar eclipse in Canada until 2044.

Join Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) in celebrating this rare celestial event!

solar eclipse

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun from view.

The “path of totality” is the 115-mile-wide path in which you will be able to view a total solar eclipse, which is what happens when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s face. Outside of this path, you will only be able to view a partial eclipse.

To view a map of the path of totality in Ontario, visit timeanddate.com.

TRCA SOLAR ECLIPSE CELEBRATION PURCHASE SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES

TRCA Solar Eclipse Celebration
at Tommy Thompson Park

Celebrate the solar eclipse on April 8 with your friends and family at Tommy Thompson Park (TTP)! While outside of the path of totality, viewers at TTP will experience a deep partial eclipse, with a magnitude of 99.56%.

Book a guided hiking tour through Toronto’s Urban Wilderness and view the eclipse from one of TTP’s unique natural viewpoints. Read through the event details below and select your preferred viewpoint to register!

view of Lake Ontario waterfront and Toronto skyline from Tommy Thompson Park

EVENT DETAILS

Date:
Monday, April 8, 2024

Time:
The eclipse will begin at 2:05 p.m., reach maximum coverage at about 3:20 p.m., and end at 4:41 p.m. View a simulation of the eclipse in Toronto.

Guided tour start times are staggered throughout the day, to ensure that groups can reach their destination in time for the eclipse. All guided tours will end at 4:00 p.m. when Tommy Thompson Park officially opens, at which point participants are welcome to either walk back to the entrance with their leader or extend their visit in the park.

Price:
$15 + HST per ticket.
Each ticket includes a guided interpretive tour and a pair of ISO 12312-2 compliant solar eclipse glasses, which ticketholders will receive upon arrival.

Discounts:

  • Conservation Parks Members receive a 10% membership discount
  • Orders of 4+ tickets receive a 10% family discount

To receive your membership discount, please contact TRCA Visitor Services. If cost presents a financial barrier to your purchase, please contact colin.love@trca.ca.

Meeting Location:
We’ll meet at the Tommy Thompson Park Pavilion, located at the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park. Free parking and public flush toilets are available at the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park. We expect a high volume of visitors and parking is very limited; participants are strongly encouraged to travel to TTP via public transit, walking, or cycling.

Be Prepared:

  • Make the most of your experience at TTP! Check out TTP’s Visitor Information for details on how to get to the park, trail maps, amenities, and park guidelines.
  • We love your pets, but please leave them at home! To protect wildlife in the park, TTP has a strict No Pets Policy.
  • Don’t forget to wear comfortable close-toed shoes, and dress for the weather. The Toronto Islands daily forecast is the most accurate for TTP.
  • Bring a reusable water bottle! There is a water bottle refill station at the entrance of TTP.

Select Your Preferred Viewpoint to Register

Location 1 – TTP Entrance Pavilion

Tommy Thompson Park entrance pavilion

  • Meeting Time: Anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
  • Distance from Main Entrance: 0 km (0-minute walk)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trail Surface Type: Pavement
  • VIEW MAP

REGISTER NOW

 

Location 2 – TTP Nature Centre

Nature Centre at Tommy Thompson Park

  • Meeting Time: 1:30 p.m.
  • Distance from Main Entrance: 700 m (10-minute walk)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trail Surface Type: Pavement
  • VIEW MAP

REGISTER NOW

 

Location 3 – TTP Outdoor Classroom

outdoor classroom at Tommy Thompson Park

  • Meeting Time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Distance from Main Entrance: 2 km (25-minute walk)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trail Surface Type: Pavement and crushed stone
  • VIEW MAP

REGISTER NOW

 

Location 4 – TTP Embayment D Wetland

Embayment D wetland at Tommy Thompson Park

  • Meeting Time: 12:30 p.m.
  • Distance from Main Entrance: 2.5 km (30-minute walk)
  • Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
  • Trail Surface Type: Pavement and crushed stone, some incline
  • VIEW MAP

REGISTER NOW

 

Location 5 – TTP Pedestrian Bridge

pedestrian bridge at Tommy Thompson Park

  • Meeting Time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Distance from Main Entrance: 3 km (40-minute walk)
  • Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
  • Trail Surface Type: Pavement and crushed stone, some incline
  • VIEW MAP

REGISTER NOW

 

Purchase Solar Eclipse Glasses

TRCA team member wearing eclipse glasses
a pair of eclipse glasses

Get a pair of solar eclipse glasses today from TRCA and make the most of your eclipse experience!

Solar eclipse viewers must be used to view the partial phases of the solar eclipse. If viewing the eclipse from outside of the path of totality, glasses must be worn for the entire duration of the eclipse.

Purchase ISO 12312-2 Compliant Solar Eclipse Glasses

Price:
$10 + HST per pair.

Each purchase of glasses grants access to a curated package of digital resources related to the solar eclipse via a password protected website.

Discounts:

*To receive your membership discount, please contact TRCA Visitor Services. If cost presents a financial barrier to your purchase, please contact colin.love@trca.ca.

PURCHASE YOUR ECLIPSE GLASSES NOW

Receiving Your Glasses and Resource Package:
Glasses will be mailed via Canada Post to the address you input when purchasing. Glasses will be shipped out weekly beginning on March 18.

Orders received after March 28 will need to be picked up in-person at Tommy Thompson Park on April 4. Make sure to submit your order well in advance to receive them in time for the eclipse.

The curated digital resource package will be sent out via email to everyone who has purchased a pair of glasses by mid-March.

Your purchase supports TRCA education and outreach programs. Quantities are limited – if you would like to purchase more than 10 solar eclipse glasses, please email colin.love@trca.ca.

Solar eclipse viewers should always be inspected before use, and discarded if torn, scratched, or damaged. Children should always be supervised when using solar viewers. Looking at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, or binoculars – even when wearing solar viewers – will cause serious eye injury.