The highly debated fireworks discussion is being brought to London city council once again after summer break ends.
On Tuesday, July 26, the community protective services committee (CPSC) will hear from two delegates about the issues with fireworks in the city.
Londoner Deanna Ronson has been a strong voice on the fireworks issue, advocating for less explosive options, and said the purpose of speaking next week is to provide feedback on the city’s current survey regarding the issues.
“We’re actually thrilled that the city staff has initiated public engagement on the matter, and we do know that they will be reviewing the fireworks bylaw in the new year. We just have a group that has a few concerns that we’re hoping that city staff can start working on now reviewing some matters so that when it comes time to review the actual bylaw, we can hit the ground running in the new year,” Ronson told Global News.
Londoners can go to the Get Involved London webpage and fill out a survey giving feedback on an upcoming Fireworks By-law Review set for early 2023.
Ronson said her issue is that the survey does not allow for feedback on firework alternatives and that she wants city staff to start looking at other cities’ bylaws around the issue now, rather than later.
She and others are advocating for alternatives like laser light shows or drone shows in lieu of the traditional options.
“There are definitely other alternatives there. There’s also something called quiet fireworks that have the same light display as traditional fireworks with less gunpowder packed in and therefore less of that big bang that serves wildlife and folks in the vicinity.”
Under the city’s current firework bylaw, Londoners are only allowed to set off fireworks between dusk and 11 p.m. on Victoria Day and Canada Day.
Some exceptions apply, and fireworks can be set off during those times on the Saturday preceding or following Canada Day if the holiday happens to land on a weekday.
Ward 5 councillor and CPSC member Maureen Cassidy says part of the issue is that people do not understand the bylaw already in place.
“So it’s not illegal to buy them, but it is illegal to set them off whenever they want. How do we stop that? Like a lot of our bylaws, (it) is complaint-driven,” Cassidy said,
“The issue really came to a head during the summer of 2020, and that was because we were all in lockdown, and there was nothing open, no place to go, nothing to do, and there were a lot of fireworks going off out all throughout that summer and spring and fall, too,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy said to help stop rule breakers, people are encouraged to report reoccurring incidents to bylaw services, which will keep a running list and will check in on these incidents.
When asked about alternative options to fireworks, Cassidy said she would be open to other ideas for the city’s main display but said the issue is mostly bylaw breakers and not the formal display by the city.
“Even if it’s going off just in Harris Park, there are some complaints about that, but the majority are the neighbourhood fireworks that are just sort of ad hoc going on.”
— with files from Global News’ Andrew Graham
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