The RASC Toronto Centre conducted a quick expedition, ultimately to Cleveland, NC to view the "Diamond Necklace" eclipse. The eclipse was just 13 seconds of annularity, but with 99.8% of the sun covered was as close as you can get to a total eclipse without being total!
 

The Celestial Observer, Oct. 1984 issue [174k] (newsletter of the Oshawa Astronomical Society).
 

In 1984, my dad and I built Lost Channel Observatory in the front hayfield of the "Old MacDonald Farm." It is approximately 10' square and has an 8' diameter dome; it has a 6" diameter pier on which I mount my C8.