Kitchener councillors vote on reducing days for fireworks

The City of Kitchener councillors unanimously voted on a recommendation to reduce the days fireworks are allowed.

During last night’s Community and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting, councillors heard a recommendation “that the number of permitted days for firework displays be reduced to only the day of celebration including Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali and must cease by 11 p.m.”

This staff report was born by a rise in complaints about fireworks from Kitchener residents. In 2018 and 2019, there were 123 total complaints, but over the last two years, 373 people have called the Waterloo Regional Police Service to complain.

The committee discussed the difficulty of enforcing these complaints, as staff mentioned that officers and the caller have a hard time pinning down the exact location the firework was set off. They also noted that disallowing the sale of fireworks wouldn’t be effective, as they can be bought outside the city or online.

Councillors brought forward potential ideas beyond staff’s recommendation. Ward 7 Councillor Bil Ioannidis proposed that the city have neighbourhoods and local groups host fireworks at safe sites in hopes that less people are setting them off in backyards disturbing their neighbours.

Ward 6 Councillor Paul Singh suggested banning fireworks altogether.

“To be honest, although I am satisfied with the direction we’re heading, I would have preferred we were looking at ultimately banning fireworks in our city,” said Singh. “It just doesn’t make any sense in today’s day and age.”

Ward 4 Councillor Christine Michaud was in agreement with Singh, calling for a firework ban across the region. Singh cited three reasons to why they should be banned.

“When it comes to environmental sustainability and responsibility, throwing these things up in the air, it’s just not good for public health, it’s not good for the environment and it’s not good for safety, so with all those three things combined, I think over time I hope that people consider different avenues of celebration.”

When it was Mayor Berry Vrbanovic’s turn to speak, he told council chambers that he was on board with Ioannidis’ proposal, but he could not side with Singh and Michaud.

“Like many of the other issues that we talk about, if we take a reasonable approach with it, I think the community will respond reasonably. I think if we take sort of a cancel culture approach to it, I think the risk that we run is that we will run into significant backlash.”

The committee vote is still pending a formal approval at the next council meeting. It is scheduled for May 8.