FREDERICTON – Residents of, and visitors to, New Brunswick were treated to an unusual site, Monday, as a total eclipse of the sun briefly rendered the province a carbon-copy of their Maritime neighbour, Nova Scotia.
Shivering as the sky darkened, local accountant Stan Clark gained greater understanding. “I always wondered how Halifax could have almost half a million people yet, in every picture I see, the streets are deserted. Now it makes sense, who the hell wants to go outside if this is what’s considered ‘pleasant’ weather?”.
Visitor, and senior citizen, Shawn MacIsaac of Yarmouth espoused jealousy and bitterness. “So all they had to do was endure a couple of hours of dark skies and bitter winds and, in return, they got one of the most breathtaking sights known to man?! We’ve been doing it non-stop for thousands of years and all we’ve gotten for it is three ‘totals’ and one Carly Simon song!”.
Border-crosser Julie Cheung, of Chester, chose to focused on the differences between the two provinces. “It was surreal! Those couple of minutes of totality created a memory that will last me a lifetime. But, I think the part that really stood out to me was how everyone needed special protection to look at the Sun. I guess around here it’s so bright that it’s actually harmful for the eyes, and not just a dim bulb that serves as your only guiding post through fog so thick it actually has a taste”.
“On the flip side,” she noted, “The few minutes either side of totality, when everything was dreary and chilly, it felt like home. Throw in the fact that both of our premiers seem like unpleasant, cookie-cutter spokesmen for Poilievre, and it was like I never left”.
