City to go ahead with big Canada Day fireworks in Calgary after saying it wouldn't

The City of Calgary has re‐ versed course and says it will keep fireworks as part of Canada Day celebrations this year — after previously saying it would replace the traditional display with a pyrotechnic show.

Last week, the city said it was rolling out a pilot pro‐ gram that would forgo the usual closing fireworks in favour of a pyrotechnic show launched from the main stage at Fort Calgary.

Reasons cited for discon‐ tinuing the tradition included sensitivities related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act, late-night traffic and noise, and upset‐ ting the city's animals and wildlife.

On Thursday, in a media release, city manager David Duckworth said the city heard from Calgarians and council‐ lors that "they would also ap‐ preciate an aerial fireworks display to celebrate on July 1."

"These and other consid‐ erations, such as concerns about late-night traffic, noise, overcrowding, wildlife and the environment will be factored into the decision on a final lo‐ cation for the aerial fireworks display," Duckworth wrote in the release.

Duckworth said those con‐ cerns will be factored into choosing the location where the aerial fireworks display will be launched from.

The city previously said it recognizes the cultural sensi‐ tivities around fireworks dis‐ plays in relation to truth and reconciliation.

This year, July 1 also marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act.

On July 1, 1923, the Chi‐ nese Immigration Act, or "Chi‐ nese Exclusion Act," was passed. The law stopped all Chinese immigration to Cana‐ da and divided hundreds of families for years. It wasn't re‐ pealed until 1946.

The city previously said not having a traditional fire‐

works show would allow peo‐ ple who do not feel like cele‐ brating the opportunity to not take part in the celebra‐ tion if they choose.

The response from some Calgarians was frustration. As of Wednesday, an online peti‐ tion by the group Common Sense Calgary had garnered more than 9,000 signatures to bring back the fireworks.

Coun. Jasmine Mian told

CBC News on Thursday that she doesn't see how py‐ rotechnics are more culturally sensitive than fireworks.

"We shouldn't take away the fireworks because I don't really think that that actually goes very far in solving any of those issues," said the Ward 3 representative.

Michelle Robinson, host of the Native Calgarian podcast and a Sahtu Dene Indigenous activist, said that when the city first announced it wouldn't be doing a big fire‐ works show, it didn't explain why it was linked to reconcili‐ ation, or what that meant.

"It just shows that there's not an understanding of the Indigenous community and the truth and the reconcilia‐ tion part," she said.

"I don't really care if they have fireworks or not. What I care about is that they see Canada Day as a day of cele‐ bration, when it's really a day to talk about reconciliation."

She said the city should be talking about homelessness or the drug crisis.

"Instead, we're talking about fireworks. So it's quite demeaning to me as an In‐ digenous person."

City to offer educational programming

The city said that as part of Canada Day 2023, it will offer diverse, educational and in‐ clusive programming for Cal‐ garians to celebrate culture and community.

The previously planned pyrotechnic show will still pro‐ ceed.

"Programming will be a mix of participatory, celebra‐ tory and reflective experi‐ ences," said Jeff Chase, direc‐ tor of partnerships with the City of Calgary.

"Calgarians will have a vari‐ ety of options to observe July 1 in a way most meaningful to them."