District of Carleton North presents astronaut, musician, and speaker to coincide with spectacular celestial event
By Sandra Hanson and Jim Dumville, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse, one of the most spectacular celestial events, will pass directly over the District of Carleton North.
For many, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the District plans to celebrate its front-row seat with various community events.
The most anticipated event, however, will be the chance to hear and meet esteemed Canadian astronaut, author, musician and speaker Chris Hadfield.
The ticketed event will occur at 5 p.m. on April 8 at the newly expanded Northern Carleton Recreation Centre in Florenceville-Bristol. Renowned New Brunswick comedian James Mullinger will open for the astronaut, who will talk about his life and inspirational career.
General admission tickets, at $60, will provide full access to the evening of entertainment. However, a limited 100 VIP tickets, at $200 each, will include a meet-and-greet with Hadfield and a signed copy of his thriller, “The Defector.”
Carleton North Mayor Andrew Harvey announced the upcoming event at the Jan. 9 council meeting, sharing his excitement at being able to host the remarkable event.
Deputy-Mayor Karen Hargrove thanked the former Florenceville-Bristol Council for arranging such an epic event.
“I think we should give credit to the former town of Florenceville-Bristol for starting this event and securing [Hadfield].”
Mayor Harvey agreed, commending the former council’s foresight to book Hadfield three years ago.
A Canadian hero, Hadfield had an illustrious career in aviation and aeronautics, including flying for the Canadian Forces and the US Navy.
He earned a reputation as a real-life maverick who engaged in highly risky work with high-performance aircraft.
In 1992, he was selected to join the Canadian Space Agency program, through which he became the first Canadian mission specialist, completing his training at NASA.
Hadfield flew on three missions to space, including flying on the Atlantis and was the first Canadian to complete a spacewalk.
Tickets are limited and are now available through Eventbrite. Visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/solar-eclipse-2024-featuring-colonel-chris-hadfield-tickets-790295885267?aff=ebdssbdestsearch for more information.
Communities throughout the Western Valley Region will host several events to coincide with the April 8 solar eclipse, with the Upper Valley and New Brunswick in the direct path of the rare celestial event.
The eclipse will pass over New Brunswick in the late afternoon of April 8, making western New Brunswick one of the best spots in the world to witness the phenomenon.
The Western Valley Regional Service Commission and associated municipalities are preparing for an influx of eclipse tourists from around the globe.
Carleton North will also be home to another important solar eclipse event. Florenceville-Biristol resident David Hunter launches a balloon and telescopic camera to view the eclipse safely from beyond the cloud cover.
Hunter, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – New Brunswick Centre, spent the past few years preparing for the total eclipse.
