For the past decade, Jim McKee has been lighting up the skies in Peterborough’s south end with a brilliant fireworks show in the park across the street from his Spillsbury Drive home.
The pyrotechnic by trade had said last year was going to be the final show, but it seems the neighbourhood kids and families wouldn’t let him call it quits.
McKee has decided to do one more show later this month to cap off the summer and celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.
“The kids talked me into it,” admitted McKee. “All the neighbours, too. I have neighbours walking by every day stopping and asking me, ‘Jim, are you doing the fireworks show? Jim, will you do the fireworks again?'”
McKee was finally convinced, but in the meantime, City Hall found out about the event and now McKee isn’t sure he’ll be able to jump through all the bureaucratic hoops in time to make it happen.
“Usually it takes me about three months to set this up and I do it all myself,” McKee said. “Now I’m looking at setting this all up in three weeks.
“But of course there is the city and the technicalities that I have to go through, and I am in the process of dealing with that right now.”
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Ken Doherty, the City of Peterborough’s director of community services, notes that anytime an individual or group wants to use a city park for an event, they should contact the parks and recreation staff first.
But in the case of McKee’s fireworks show, he acknowledges that some municipalities have even banned fireworks in city parks.
“We haven’t banned them, but people shouldn’t assume they can just go to their neighbourhood parks and set off fireworks,” Doherty said.
“If people want to be guaranteed that they have use of the park facilities for their specific activities, then they should contact the city and ideally they would give lots of lead time.”
McKee is in the process of getting the proper insurance coverage and had a meeting with parks and recreation staff Tuesday morning. He believes he’ll get the necessary permits in time.
“We’re following all the rules and we’ve got the insurance,” McKee said. “They’re covering their bases, which I understand, and I’m covering mine. We just want to have a great event for everybody.”
The event began ten years ago as a small gathering of about 20 friends and family in the park, McKee explains. It’s now become a huge draw, with more than 1,000 people flocking to Valleymore Park to take in the light show.
With bigger crowds comes bigger expectations, so the budget for the fireworks has skyrocketed.
This year’s show is expected to cost more than $6,000, so McKee and his friends have set up a crowdfunding page to help offset costs.
“It’s non-profit — nobody makes any money. Everything goes back into the fireworks show,” said McKee, who usually chips in the funds needed to make sure the show goes off with a bang.
“It’s for the families and kids,” he said. “Usually we do lose money. My wife and I will usually spend up to six or seven hundred dollars.”
Despite all the logistics, McKee says organizing the show for the community has been a pleasure.
“When I’m standing on that hill and the fireworks are over and I hear the thousands of people cheering, it’s worth it,” he said. “It just makes me happy.”
Meanwhile, the city is working to make sure the fireworks show meets all the safety standards and requirements ahead of its scheduled August 26th date.
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