Organizers behind some of Quebec’s biggest fireworks shows are striking back against what they call bad press.
Some fireworks displays got cancelled last summer at the peak of Quebec’s wildfire season due to bad air quality, but the producers of the explosive displays say a new study proves the impact on the environment is minimal.
“We’re worried about the perception of the fireworks, and this is why we had this study made,” Maude Furtado of the Canadian Pyrotechnic Council said.
Furtado, Sophie Emond of the Regroupement des événements pyrotechniques du Québec and engineer Jean-Luc Allard of AtkinsRealis (formerly SNC Lavalin) convened a press conference where they presented the results of the new study.
It finds air quality impacts posed by fireworks are limited to a small geographic area and a short timeframe, and that Quebec environment rules are being respected.
“In all situations, we meet the applicable criteria,” Allard, the director of the independent study, said.
The Canadian Pyrotechnic Council says dozens of municipalities have not renewed contracts to hold firework shows this year mainly due to concerns over air quality. They’re hoping releasing the study will alleviate some of those fears.
“The good news is the impact is quite limited in space and in time and is probably, more limited than what some would see or expect,” Furtado said.
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Emond, who is also president of the LaRonde theme park where Montreal’s fireworks competition takes place, said the displays will be scaled down this year to reduce their environmental impact.
Instead of 30 minutes of explosions there will be 25, and 5 minutes of lasers.
Emond said seven fireworks shows at LaRonde emits the equivalent of 1 round trip flight for two to Miami.
“There is an impact, so we need to address those matters and try to make changes,” she said.
Dr. Scott Weichenthal, a professor in McGill’s epidemiology department and an expert on the health impacts of air pollution, said he rarely attends fireworks shows.
“All things being equal, it’s better not to be breathing this in,” he said. “I think as a society we have to decide. Do we want to say ‘ooh and ahh’ for a few minutes and then accept the fact that there are certain people in the city might be harmed by smoke from that event?”
He points out air in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area near LaRonde is disproportionately affected.
“If this was blowing over Westmount or Outremont, we might expect a different response,” he said.
The organizers say the fireworks events are free, inclusive, and bring thousands together to experience a sense of joyous awe. They also positively impact Montreal’s economy.
They say they will quickly cancel or postpone any shows if Public Health asks them to, but they hope fireworks are here to stay.
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