County of Brant councilors voted in favor of adding Diwali and Lunar New Year to the list of days residents can set off fireworks at a policy development meeting on Tuesday.
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The current bylaw permits fireworks for Victoria Day and Canada Day, including a three-day period before and after both holidays.
The amended bylaw — set to be passed at council on Sept. 24 — will allow one day for Diwali, and one day for Lunar New Year, which includes Chinese New Year.
Diwali is a five-day Hindu festival of light taking place in the fall, and Lunar New Year typically falls between mid-January and mid-February.
Because both festivals are based on the lunar calendar, the dates shift from year to year. The permitted day for each will be confirmed by the fire chief and posted on the county website, the amended bylaw says.
The change means licensed vendors will also be permitted to sell fireworks in the six days leading up to the identified date for Diwali and Lunar New Year, respectively.
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While residents could previously apply for a both permit to set off fireworks during celebrations, officially adding them is in line with the county’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, Greg Bergeron, the county’s director of enforcement and regulatory services, told councillors.
County staff reviewed the bylaw earlier in the year, and discussed adding these days based on requests from the public, according to a report prepared by Bergeron.
Coun. Lukas Oakley called it a “great step in the right direction,” while also noting that the question of whether fireworks should be permitted by individuals at all (vs. a larger county-produced event) is perhaps a point of debate for another day.
Residents have previously expressed concerns about their effect on farm animals and pets, as well as complaints over people setting them off while inebriated, Coun. John MacAlpine said on Tuesday.
Certain types of fireworks are prohibited, even on permitted days, including firecrackers, exploding matches, cherry bombs, and battle-sky rockets.
Other Ontario municipalities such as Ajax, Mississauga and London already allow fireworks on Diwali and Lunar New Year.
Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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