Eclipse passes over Toronto on Monday afternoon
GTA not in path of totality, clouds covered much of sky, but some got glimpses of partial eclipse
Cheers broke out at 3:19 p.m. Monday outside the Rogers Centre in Toronto as a partial solar eclipse brought the city to dusk, with the moon blocking over 90 per cent of the sun.
Ahead of the Blue Jays home opener, large crowds gathered downtown donning eclipse safety glasses as they gazed up at the cloudy skies for the once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.
After the partial eclipse reached its peak and the city started to brighten again, many remained outside to catch a glimpse of the sun through the clouds.
In Mississauga, resident Natalie Senior was working at home when she just popped outside to take a quick photo of the eclipse from her driveway.
"I was in awe. It's a piece of history. And I was glad to capture such a sight. It's a split second photo. I caught it just in time," Senior said on Monday.
At the Downsview airport lands in North York, a crowd of all ages enjoyed views of the eclipse as themed songs played on speakers, including Total Eclipse of the Heart, Walking on Sunshine and Life on Mars.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow addressed the community, particularly the children, at the event, which was hosted by Northcrest Development.
"That cloud is getting in our way a little bit, but it will still get dark," Chow said about 10 minutes before the eclipse reached its peak.
Wearing a custom Blue Jays jersey, at one point, the mayor struggled to spot the sun through the clouds in anticipation of the eclipse.
"It's up there somewhere!" she said, gesturing to the sky.
Bob Goulais, a knowledge keeper from Nipissing First Nation performed a smudging ceremony during the event.
"The eclipse is that joining of our grandfather, the sun, and our grandmother, the moon," he said.
'It reminds us to reflect on our own place in creation'
Goulais described Monday as a day of reflection, posing a unique opportunity for the community to learn about Anishinaabe ways.
"We see that balance in creation," Goulais said. "It reminds us to reflect on our own place in creation and where we fit into it."
Earlier on Monday, Brian Osiah, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, had warned there could be "bad news" in store for the GTA and even Niagara Region, which was in the path of totality.
"Unfortunately, it does look like it will be mainly cloudy," Osiah had told CBC Toronto early this morning.
Eclipse generates interest in animal monitoring
At the Toronto Zoo, visitors were invited to record observations of animal behaviour for the duration of the eclipse using an online form. Visitors were invited to come back Tuesday to compare their insights.
The eclipse has generated widespread interest in animal monitoring, Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong said on Monday.
Visitors were invited to make observations on Sunday as well to create a baseline of typical animal behaviour, according to the zoo's website.
Collected data will be integrated into a report, DeJong said, noting that other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are also monitoring animals
"We'll be able to collaborate [and] work together," he said. "It's the scientific process in action."
Viewing parties held across Toronto
Many organizations held eclipse viewing parties on Monday. Hundreds of people attended the one at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Misha Shah, 20, a resident, said she brought her family, including her twin brothers and parents, to the viewing party.
"The whole family's here, and yeah, we came to enjoy the eclipse here today," she said. "The vibe is great. I stepped in here and immediately loved it. It's just such a nice family friendly place."
WATCH | CBC's Chris Glover attends a watch party in Toronto:
Her mother, Mimisha Shah, said: "My home country is India and I saw over there like two solar eclipses completely and this is my third solar eclipse. I'm really excited. I love it!"
After the peak of the eclipse, which was shrouded by clouds, Mimisha added: "Here because of the clouds and environment, you can't see much but still you can still feel it. So still I feel like it I saw the solar eclipse and still I'm happy."
Toronto Public Library hosted educational programs
Toronto Public Library locations hosted various educational programs for kids who were at home thanks to the PA day on Monday.
Available activities included solar eclipse trivia, pinhole projector tutorials and an educational space workshop hosted online.
Though several eclipse viewing parties were already full, the Forest Hill library branch hosted a drop-in solar eclipse viewing.
The Dawes Road branch in East York also hosted a drop-in eclipse viewing with a limited supply of glasses available — but it was an adults only event.
York University's Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory hosted an eclipse viewing for staff and students on Monday. A few photos were taken at the event.
The first one was taken at 2:28 p.m. and the second at 2:47 p.m. The first was with the solar filter, while the second, which shows cloud cover, was without.
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With files from Muriel Draaisma and Chris Glover