In the aftermath of the Canada Day long weekend, the Town of Ajax has laid charges against 14 individuals alleged to have violated the fireworks bylaw and issued several warnings.
Over the long weekend, the town received reports of infractions ranging from illegal fireworks displays in public parks to litter and property damage left behind by revellers.
Bylaw officers patrolled town parks and greenspaces between June 30 and July 2, from 9 p.m. until midnight. The effort resulted in several pre-emptive warnings issued to potential offenders, discouraging the unauthorized use of fireworks.
“We gave a lot of warnings to individuals that hadn’t quite got set up to ignite the fireworks in the parks,” Hannan said. “But we ended up coming across…14 active engagements of fireworks with lit fireworks going off in the parks and we laid 14 charges as a result of that.”
One individual faced an additional charge for allegedly obstructing and hindering a Durham Region Police officer when asked to provide identification in accordance with the by-law.
The fireworks bylaw prohibits the setting off of fireworks on public streets or roadways within the Town of Ajax. People are required to obtain prior written permission from the registered owner of any land before setting off consumer fireworks.
Fireworks are also prohibited in public parks and greenspaces and their use is restricted to the hours between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Fireworks are only permitted on the day immediately preceding, the day of, and the day following statutory and cultural holidays such as Victoria Day, Canada Day, Lunar New Year, Eid al-Fitr, and Diwali.
“We know people like fireworks but there’s a safety component to it as well,” Hannan said. “So, the town’s trying to balance those two things about allowing people to have some fun but on the flip side we need to make sure that it’s being done safely.”
Ajax Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) were also called twice to address incidents directly linked to fireworks. In one instance, a park waste receptacle caught fire due to the improper disposal of used fireworks and will cost the town $1,200 to replace. Another resulted in damage to private property due to backyard fireworks displays.
The Operations and Environmental Services staff spent more than 14 hours cleaning parks and greenspaces, removing litter and debris left behind by individuals.
Mayor Shaun Collier said the repeated violations of the fireworks bylaw is concerning. “We’ve taken a stern and educational approach to enforcement to date. Unfortunately, some are not getting the message. The amount of reports of those not following our fireworks bylaw this past weekend and other designated holidays is troublesome.”
Collier urged residents act like responsible neighbours and adhere to the bylaws and respect community well-being.
The Town of Ajax encourages residents to enjoy fireworks at professionally organized events.
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