Monday's solar eclipse will be a special sight to see, but should only be viewed with special eyewear, said Winkler optometrist Stephen Mazur.

He warns looking directly at the eclipse can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss.

Mazur says the eclipse can be safely viewed with these protective glasses.

"For this particular eclipse it's only going to be a partial one here in Manitoba, only 70 percent of the sun will be covered, the other 30 percent will not be," he said.

"If you look directly at that sunlight it's just like burning a hole in a piece of tissue paper, the tissue paper's ruined, and you can't fix it after that", he added.

The optometrist has seen many of these cases, and stresses the use of eclipse eyewear.

"Use a special set of glasses that you can get at the Manitoba Association of Optometrists," said Mazur.

He noted regular sunglasses will not protect you while viewing an eclipse.

Manitoba optometrists will have free Eclipse Shades to distribute to their patients, contact your optometrist directly if interested.

Manitoba optometrists want to remind everyone it is never safe to look directly at the sun.

The August 21st eclipse will be seen in its totality in the United States, and partially here in Canada. More information can be found on the Government of Canada website, which also gives a guide on making your own projector to watch solar eclipses safely.