City of Ottawa working to deter use of illegal fireworks on Canada Day weekend

By Dani-Elle Dubé

After Victoria Day festivities were on hold again this year due to COVID, residents found other ways in Ottawa to celebrate, and that meant the use of unauthorized fireworks.

Now, the City of Ottawa wants to avoid it happening again over the Canada Day long weekend.

According to a report that will be heard at Wednesday’s community and protective services committee, bylaw service answered 130 calls for unauthorized discharge of fireworks, while Ottawa Fire Services attended to 16 calls related to incidents set off by fireworks between May 21 to 24.

“With the COVID-19 Provincial Stay-At-Home Order in effect since April 8, 2021, and traditional in-person Victoria Day fireworks ceremonies prohibited, the City of Ottawa saw an increase in smaller, home-based fireworks use over the 2021 Victoria Day long weekend,” the report says.

“Given that provincial COVID-19 regulations will still be in place on July 1, 2021, it follows that a similar increase in fireworks-related issues may be anticipated for this year’s Canada Day.”

Firefighters attended to seven calls for service that had to do with grass fires from fireworks use, three for perceived emergencies due to fireworks, one for a public garbage container fire, one youth setting fireworks off at a construction site, one youth setting fireworks off in a public park, one discarded fireworks container found smouldering, one for fireworks being set off on the roof of a town house and one call of two children receiving burns due to fireworks.

This is compared to last year's Victoria Day on May 15 to 18, when bylaw received 23 calls for service of unauthorized discharge of fireworks, while Ottawa Fire Services received four.

To avoid this happening for Canada Day, the city says it has a plan.

The first part is a communications strategy, which includes a social media campaign with OFS and bylaw.

Another aspect is the regulatory and enforcement strategy, which will be implemented to mitigate the hazards, the report says.

This involves Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services programming park and beach staff providing information and education to park patrons on the regulations surrounding firework usage.

Bylaw officers will also be deployed to problematic parks on the evening of Canada Day to enforce applicable park closures and enforce the firework bylaw and provincial COVID-19 orders.

OFS and bylaw will not be issuing display fireworks permits, and neither will Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services.

Councillors also have the abilities to temporarily amend park hours in their ward for any period on, or around, Canada Day.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today