St. John’s dousing fireworks outside Canada Day, New Year’s Eve
But not everyone on council is convinced it will work
New Year’s Eve and Canada Day aren’t always days of celebration for Nicholas Hynes.
In fact, they can be pretty stressful for days after.
It’s because he spends much of that time trying to calm his four huskies when fireworks explode throughout the neighbourhood.
“They fret, pace, hide, pant,” said Hynes, who lives in the Airport Heights neighbourhood of St. John’s. “The nervousness lasts a while. … They’re on edge for days.”
He can normally get through those specific days by taking the dogs to the basement and turning up the sound of the TV or radio. But when the fireworks continue to be shot off throughout the week, it causes a lot of tension.
“In our area, we don’t know when or for how long it will go on,” said Hynes, a member of the Snowdogs of Newfoundland and Labrador group. “It’s an issue when they are randomly going off evening and night a week before and a week after (New Year’s Eve or Canada Day).
“We also have seniors and people with anxiety and (posttraumatic stress disorder) in our neighborhood. It’s really stressful for them, too.”
In an effort to address those and other concerns, St. John’s city council is looking to create a new standalone fireworks bylaw that would only allow fireworks to be discharged on two days of the year — Canada Day (July 1) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) during the designated hours of 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
“For the people (fireworks) affects, it affects them greatly,” Coun. Jamie Korab said during city council’s committee of the whole meeting Wednesday. “For people it doesn’t affect, (the new regulation) is a minor inconvenience.”
There would be certain exceptions and allowances, recognizing the different needs and wishes of residents and community groups, who could apply for a special-event approval, or by council declaring additional days.
The new bylaw would also set out several safety parameters that address the manner in which fireworks could be discharged.
The proposal notes that the bylaw would not alter requirements and responsibilities a person has under existing provincial and federal legislation. It wouldn’t change the
St. John’s Regional Fire Department’s (SJRFD) role in regulating the sale of consumer fireworks at the vendor’s premises.
“I agree there’s a problem, but I’m not convinced this is the right solution.” St. John’s Coun. Ian Froude
The current certification program would still be implemented by the SJRFD, which places responsibility on the vendor to ensure staff are certified through the SJRFD and to provide educational information to the purchaser.
If approved, the new bylaw and amendments would come into effect on Dec. 31, 2021.
“It’s a happy medium,” Coun. Debbie Hanlon said. “We do get flooded with calls from people concerned about fireworks. I think it’s the best thing we could do to (mitigate) it.
“I also like the fact that, although we’re selecting these two dates, I feel any other group … because we’re very diverse here in Newfoundland, we’re getting very multicultural and there’s lots of those reasons for people to celebrate, we cover them with the ability to apply for special events. … So, we’re not leaving any specific group out.”
But not everyone went ooh and aah at the proposed bylaw changes.
Coun. Ian Froude said he won’t support the motion.
“I agree there’s a problem, but I’m not convinced this is the right solution,” he said.
Froude said choosing only two dates for fireworks leaves many other cultural groups out.
“They can ask for permission to participate, but … there are substantial barriers between getting that permission,” said Froude, adding that the cost of purchasing insurance may be too high for some.
“And I’m not fully there on banning it outright … but if it is a safety issue, why is it permitted on those two days?”
Froude also said he’s not convinced the city can effectively enforce the bylaw regulations.
When contacted later by The Telegram, Mayor Danny Breen admitted enforcement would be a challenge.
He said the city has inspectors who could investigate reports of violations, but whether they could arrive in time to assess the situation couldn’t be guaranteed. He said the St. John’s Regional Fire Department could also be called if there were safety concerns.
However, he said an effective way to ensure the bylaw is followed is through education and working with other municipalities on a communications and marketing plan.
“A communication campaign throughout province (would) let people know the impacts of fireworks when it’s put off at various times and impacts it has on others, whether it’s concern for pets or safety, and just to educate people on what the bylaw means,” Breen said during the meeting.
He later said, “We never thought it would be a simple solution, but it’s a good first step.”
The new bylaw proposal will be presented at council’s regular meeting June 7.