Fireworks should mostly fizzle except for on holidays in Barrie.
City council gave final approval Monday night to amend the regulatory bylaw to shorten the number of days fireworks can be set off in Barrie near holidays. Instead of five days before a holiday, pyrotechnics would only be allowed the actual day of Victoria Day, Canada Day, New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year and Diwali, unless authorized to do so.
“They (Barrie residents) will only be able to set off fireworks on the day of the event, or for the duration of the event, because we’re adding Diwali and Lunar (Chinese) New Year,” said city clerk Wendy Cooke. “Sometime those celebrations take place over a few days, so they would be able to set them off for the duration, but for instance on Canada Day (and) Victoria Day, it would just be on that particular holiday.”
Since the bylaw specifying these restrictions would not pass until June 28, that leaves little time before it takes effect Canada Day, July 1.
“Since it’s such a close timeline to Canada Day, our staff will likely just communicate and educate members of the public,” Cooke said.
“It is a relatively tight time frame, so compliance is always our first goal rather than any more stringent enforcement,” said Dawn McAlpine, Barrie’s general manager of community and corporate services. “In a quiet zone, no fireworks are permitted even on holidays under the city’s noise bylaw.
“In the rest of the community, they can be set off on the specific holiday," but not past 11 p.m., McAlpine said.
A ‘quiet zone’ is an area within 500 metres of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), or other hospital or long-term care facility as regulated by the Ministry of Health, Barrie City Hall, or any provincial or federal courthouse.
Cathy Colebatch, an Allandale resident, made a deputation to council Monday night supporting the changes.
“We are very near the waterfront and Bayview Drive, which acts as a canyon boomeranging noise all over our neighbourhoods,” she said.
“Residents need to be respectful of their neighbours when lighting fireworks off, which is not happening currently," Colebatch added. "People have gone overboard. From May until snow flies, fireworks go off at random hours and for no apparent reason. This is distressing to everyone — babies, young children and families, elderly, those with anxiety or other conditions, seniors, shift workers, you get the idea.
“I personally have called police well after midnight to complain, but trying to establish where the noise is exactly becomes a problem for enforcement.”
Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl says residents have been calling and emailing her to ask what can be done to change the number of days and time of day fireworks are permitted near holidays.
Barrie Fire Chief Cory Mainprize said he believes the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a fireworks show handled by professionals. Barrie Fire and Emergency Service (BFES) receives very few, if any, complaints regarding the use of fireworks, he said. BFES is also not aware of any incidents that have resulted in a fire from the use of fireworks in Barrie.
Mainprize has said the local fire department's one concern about fireworks is that residents follow the manufacturer’s instructions in terms of maintaining clearance and proper handling.
The regulatory bylaw states that no person shall discharge or set off any fireworks of any kind or description within the city, save and except during a period of five calendar days prior to and the Victoria Day holiday, and five calendar days prior to and the Canada Day holiday, and five calendar days prior to New Year’s Day, and five days prior to the day of Chinese New Year unless authorized to do so.
The appropriate sections of the bylaw will be changed to replace the provision of allowing the setting off of any fireworks period from five calendar days prior to only the duration or day of Victoria Day, Canada Day, New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year and Diwali, unless authorized to do so.
