Solar eclipse: Group launches legal challenge over Niagara state of emergency [Video]

An Ontario advocacy group is trying to take Niagara Region to court after the local government declared a state of emergency ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse.

The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) filed a notice of application for a judicial review of the region’s state of emergency, also calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to intervene.

“The CCF is deeply concerned about the proliferation of declarations of emergency in situations where no genuine emergencies exist,” the group said in a statement issued Friday.

Niagara Region preemptively declared a state of emergency at the end of March, fearing a crush of crowds flocking to the area to view the solar eclipse. At the time, Regional Chair Jim Bradley said the state of emergency was declared “out of an abundance of caution.”

Niagara Falls, in particular, has been mooted as one of the best places to watch the celestial event.

Police have previously said estimates …