Northern Bruce Peninsula is updating its fireworks by-law to require a permit to possess, use, set off, and discharge any fireworks in the municipality.
During a council meeting on April 25, a report was brought forward recommending council approve the updated by-law.
This update comes after council directed staff to review the by-law last summer, following receiving numerous complaints of fireworks being used illegally leading up to and after Canada Day.
Fire Chief Jack Burt says the sale of fireworks is also prohibited in Northern Bruce Peninsula.
“This year we will be working with our area businesses to make sure they understand new regulations and educate them this year, and work with them to make sure that they can get rid of their stock that they currently have,” says Burt.
During a July, 2021 meeting, council received a significant number of complaints with the illegal use of fireworks and its impacts, including those on animals, people, the environment, and the increased risk of fires.
“The complaints did add up and it caused a lot of people to question the use of fireworks within the municipality, hence the changes to the by-law,” says Burt.
Burt referenced an incident where people would have their own fireworks display at the docks in Tobermory, an area that was not necessarily safe to discharge fireworks. Burt says moving forward they wanted to make sure they had a robust by-law going forward that would call for a permit before a display was held.
Staff were directed by council to update the by-law to ban the use, sale, and possession of family fireworks, and in a follow up meeting in March, Burt was directed to make additional changes and reduce the permit notification period from 60 days to 30.
“Having that permit will allow us to know where the fireworks are located and make sure all the safety requirements are in place before the display occurs,” says Burt.
Family fireworks will still be allowed with a permit and the approval of council and the fire chief.
Burt says provincial offences fines have also gone up for the sale, possession, use, setting off and discharge of fireworks to $835. If residents do not have a permit for either a display firework or family fireworks, the associated fine has gone up to $500.
“Those fines also include a victim surcharge and court costs,” says Burt.
Burt says he believes this to be a very important by-law change, as fireworks can be dangerous.
“We want to make sure that everybody is safe in our municipality, and we want to make sure if you are having a fireworks display, its for enjoyment and you are not disturbing other people while they are trying to enjoy the beautiful natural habitat of Northern Bruce Peninsula,” says Burt.
