City of Waterloo to consider updating firework bylaw

After receiving a swath of complaints over the most recent Victoria Day long weekend, the City of Waterloo will be considering an update to its firework bylaw during a meeting of special council on Monday. 

Nicole Papke is the director of municipal enforcement services for the City of Waterloo, and said concerns expressed over that holiday to both her department and Regional police largely centred around disturbances in the late evening hours, and the noise related to those disturbances – with many complainants taking issue with the “lengthy time frames” allotted under the current by-law for firework use. 

“Really, I think the direction is maybe to clean up the bylaw a little bit, and to encourage people to be good neighbours (…) so that we can enjoy fireworks, but respectfully for everyone…”

Under the current by-law, fireworks are permitted in the City of Waterloo on several major holidays including Victoria Day, Canada Day, “Chinese New Year” and the Hindu Religious Festival of Diwali, as well as the seven days preceding and following those days. Conducting a “municipal scan” of the region and cities of a similar size to Waterloo, city staff found that the existing bylaw was notably less restrictive than the “vast majority of municipalities”, with most typically offering no more than one to two days of permitted fireworks use before or after allowed holidays. 

“What we're considering or proposing is that we would continue on the days (…) but only one day before and one day after – and we're requesting that there be a time limit placed on it as well, thinking that 11 p.m. might be reasonable for everybody to enjoy them.”

Tightening up that window of permission to launch fireworks in the City of Waterloo would bring the municipality more in line with Kitchener, as well as municipalities like Ottawa, Windsor and London, while Cambridge currently allows two days before or after statutory holidays and “Chinese New Year” and Diwali. 10 day exceptions are permitted in Cambridge in the case of inclement weather.

Under the proposed changes, fireworks would also not be permitted in the City of Waterloo if the Fire Chief declares the city a “restricted fire zone.”

In addition to the above changes, Papke said the City of Waterloo also consulted its new Director of Indigenous Initiatives, Anti-Racism, Accessibility and Equity, Sanjay Govindaraj to make sure the bylaw was using the “appropriate terminology”, now referring to “Chinese New Year” as the Lunar New Year, and noting that Diwali may otherwise be referred to as “Deepavali”. 

“The last time the bylaw was updated was in 2006, so I think it was time really for housekeeping to sort of happen, and to encourage people to be good neighbours – I think that's really the goal of the update.”

City staff will also be directed to provide educational material related to “minimizing human impact” for firework use near environmentally sensitive areas, as the City of Waterloo has prepared a map of sensitive landscapes, policy areas and regionally significant woodlands – to be provided to residents online. 

During the Victoria Day long weekend, residents also expressed concern with fireworks being set off without permission at parks and schools, with the expectation of bylaw enforcement staff stepping in to shut down the activity – though Papke noted that those involved are usually quick to leave the area after the display.

“Enforcement is one piece of it (…) and we do respond to complaints.” said Papke. “We simply try to be staffed in the time that we feel that the complaints may come in, and certainly address and provide education to people about the use of fireworks and why they're creating a disturbance for people.”

The proposed by-law changes are set to go before Waterloo council on Monday, September 27.