WINNIPEG — The Forks’ New Year’s Eve fireworks show may be over in just a matter of minutes Wednesday night but it took months to plan.
“As soon as the show from the previous year is over,” said Toby Hughes, a pyrotechnician with Archangel Fireworks. “We have a good relationship with The Forks and they will give us notes on (what) people like to see and music to include.”
Hughes is in charge of setting up Wednesday’s display and his day starts early.
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His team of six arrives on site around 11 a.m. and will work right up until show time to make sure the fireworks go off the way they should.
In all, they will set up more than 400 pieces.
This year the start time has been pushed up because The Forks wanted to have the show at 8 p.m. so it is more family friendly.
The cold weather does make setting up tricky.
“Working with electrics, your fingers get cold, so we take lots of breaks, have those warm packs for your hands and sit in the truck to warm up,” said Hughes. “It makes it worth sitting outside in the cold all day to giggle a little bit while you are blowing things up.”
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The fireworks are all hooked up to a computer and fired off from a safe distance.
Hughes will be the one to set it all off after a countdown from the crowd at The Forks.
“It’s exhilarating because you do get to press the button and then you are right underneath it. You see the things bursting all around and you know you did it,” said Hughes.
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