Solar Eclipse: Hurry to get the last pairs of glasses available

Latecomers will have to rush to get the last pairs of glasses still on sale that will allow them to safely view Monday's eclipse.

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Although the vast majority of stores recognized by the Éclipse Québec group have been out of stock for several days already, a few merchants still had a few pairs of glasses for sale on Saturday morning.

This is particularly the case for the company specializing in the sale of certified cartridge printing products, which is located in the industrial area of ​​Longueuil.

“There was a queue before the opening at 10 a.m., it looked like a movie premiere,” said Matthieu Laroche, the company's president.

This constant flow of customers never stopped throughout the day. The company, which sold 200,000 pairs of glasses online for the eclipse, was able to provide 400 glasses to people who came directly to the site.

“My day is over, great!” “I almost felt discouraged,” said one of the elders upon receiving his delicate mount.

Certified cartridges certainly won't have frames for sale at the end of the day, Mr. Laroche estimates.

Latest couples

A bell sound similar to that heard at Zedem Musical Instrument Shop, on Montreal's North Shore.

“I think we'll pass 400 pairs today. I've already sold 150,” David Cleris, manager of the Terrebonne store, said just an hour after it opened.

He made sales to families who traveled from the mainland or even the South Shore to get the latest coveted pairs.

“They realized they needed glasses,” said Mr. Cleris, who usually sells guitars and pianos, rather than astronomy equipment.

A Montreal resident and his daughter went to the Zedem store after calling, unsuccessfully, several other stores closer to home.

They left happy with their pricey purchases, even enjoying testing them out in the parking lot before hitting the road again.

In one week, the company sold 1,500 pairs of glasses, which were distributed by the Astro-Nature online store, run by a former music school student.

In total, the astronomy company has sold more than 50,000 pairs of glasses in Quebec, mostly to individuals.

substitute

Shares are also available in certain companies that have not been approved by Éclipse Québec.

In these cases, it is important to verify that the glasses meet the ISO 12312-2 standard before purchasing them.

To comply with international standards, eyeglass labels must specifically contain the name and location of the manufacturer and the organization that tested the product as well as instructions for use.

On Monday, 150,000 pairs of glasses will be distributed for free by the planetarium in Parc Jean-Drapeau.

The glasses will also be available in front of the Science Centre, in the Old Port of Montreal, on Monday from 1:00 pm while stocks last.