Fireworks rules up for review

By Chad Ingram

Published March 5 2019

Dysart et al council is looking to crack down on the use of fireworks in the municipality with one member musing about an all-out ban on the items.

Councillors discussed fireworks during a Feb. 26 council meeting and are instructing the municipality’s bylaw officer to undertake a review of Dysart’s noise bylaw.

“With all I’ve heard around the table particularly concerning fireworks and short-term rentals and all these different things I would think it would be timely to have [bylaw enforcement officer] Kristin [Boylan] do a review of the noise bylaw in general” said Mayor Andrea Roberts.

Currently the only restriction on fireworks in the municipality’s noise bylaw is that they not be set off between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 p.m. Other townships have stricter rules around the use of the fireworks such as restricting them to certain statutory holidays etc.

“Some municipalities have special events permits and it would be something they apply for and have a fee attached” Boylan said.

Councillor John Smith said he planned to have a conversation at the municipality’s environment committee about the possibility of disallowing fireworks altogether.

“I’d like to have a discussion at the environment committee about the appropriateness of allowing fireworks” Smith said. “It’s not just a noise issue. Frankly and in particular the ones that are sold here in Ontario are made in China they’re polluting our air they’re putting pollutants in our water that shouldn’t be there impacting wildlife and you know other municipalities have taken a much stronger position. It’s not just because of the noise.”

As far as sacrifices human beings are willing to make to mitigate the damage they’re causing to the planet “if we’re not prepared to sacrifice the moments of pleasure from watching this and hearing the noise I don’t know what mankind is prepared to do” Smith said.

Boylan will conduct a review of the noise bylaw. Any regulation banning fireworks would require the creation of a separate bylaw.