Tens of Thousands of Free Eclipse Glasses Distributed Across Montréal

With eclipse glasses fitted with certified solar filters, it’s perfectly safe to watch an eclipse, as they block over 99.9% of the sun’s light. Credit: Amélie Philibert, Université de Montréal.

Our institute, iREx, in collaboration with the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and the Université de Montréal, will provide tens of thousands of certified eclipse glasses free of charge. These will be distributed to the entire Université de Montréal community, the citizens of Montreal, and various other groups.

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will occur in parts of North America, including southeastern Canada. To safely experience this rare event, when the Moon momentarily covers the Sun, it’s crucial to follow a simple rule: always protect your eyes when looking at the Sun, whether during an eclipse or not. Optometrists recommend that members of the public use certified eclipse glasses to view the event. These glasses, equipped with solar filters meeting the ISO-12312-2:2015 standard, ensure safe observation.

Exciting news! Our institute, in collaboration with the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and the Université de Montréal, will distribute tens of thousands of certified eclipse glasses, to the entire Université de Montréal community and the residents of Montreal.

Glasses for the Université de Montréal Community

For the Université de Montréal community, including students and staff, glasses will be available at 20 pickup points across all campuses starting March 11. These points include five FAECUM counters, twelve Université de Montréal libraries, and seven bookstores and service counters. The complete list of pickup points and more information can be found at http://www.umontreal.ca/eclipse.

Please note that community members attending the CEPSUM event (registration required) are invited to collect their glasses in advance and bring them with them on April 8.

Glasses for Montreal Citizens

What’s more, thanks to a partnership between the Bibliothèques de Montréal, the Université de Montréal, our institute, Espace pour la vie, the Trottier Family Foundation, Parc Jean-Drapeau and the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, Montrealers will be able to obtain their free pair from one of the city’s 45 libraries as of March 18, and enjoy this unique and breathtaking show in complete safety!

More information will be available soon at https://montreal.ca/en/libraries.

More than 1,000 eclipse glasses were distributed on October 14, during the AstroMIL event held on the MIL campus of the Université de Montréal. Credit: Amélie Philibert, Université de Montréal.

Other Distribution Points

Other locations will also enable distribution of our free eclipse glasses to different audiences:

• Visitors to the Clinique universitaire de la vision, where free eclipse glasses will be available on-site at 3744, rue Jean-Brillant, local 110.
• The thousands of individuals from all walks of life reached by the initiatives of our 120 Eclipse Ambassadors,
• Participants in recent public activities and those attending the in-person Grande Conference de l’iREx on March 27 at the MIL campus of Université de Montréal.
• Members of the HEC Montréal and Polytechnique de Montréal communities, who will distribute glasses independently.

For more information on all our institute’s eclipse-related initiatives, visit our dedicated page.