Survey says. . . Londoners split on allowing backyard fireworks

Londoners are split on backyard fireworks, a new city hall survey says, ahead of a public meeting on the future of the local bylaw next week.

The public input survey launched by city hall as part of the process to revamp the municipal fireworks rules showed a divide, with about 52 per cent or respondents urging city hall to allow backyard fireworks on specific days with tighter restrictions and increased fines, and about 48 hundred asking for an outright ban.

The survey results, to be presented at council’s community and protective services committee meeting on Tuesday, come as councilors prepare to hear from members of the public on city hall’s fireworks policy.

But at least one politician on the six-member committee isn’t ready to ditch the pyrotechnics outright.

“Based on conversations I had with Londoners and Ward 5 constituents, there is no strong support for an outright ban on backyard fireworks,” Coun. Jerry Pribil, a committee member, said Thursday.

“Many believe that this is a big part of our culture and heritage.”

The online survey, which attracted responses from 1,635 people, asked Londoners to consider two options.

The first would allow residents to set off backyard fireworks for three days surrounding Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali, an Indian post-harvest festival. Backyard fireworks would be allowed between dusk and 11 pm and could be sold in the city five days in advance of the holidays, down from seven now.

The second option is an outright ban on the use and sale of backyard fireworks in the city.

Under both options, professional fireworks displays, with a city hall permit, would be allowed on Victoria Day, Canada Day, Diwali and New Year’s Eve, with the possibility of other dates being added.

Both options also call for increased fines for violating the backyard fireworks rules, but don’t specify the exact amount or a plan to step up enforcement.

Among the individuals signed up to speak at next week’s public participation meeting are a national fireworks association representative and the owner of an area professional fireworks company.

In letters to the council committee, opponents said backyard and professional pyrotechnics upset pets and disturb wildlife and interrupt people’s sleep, and they raised concerns about fireworks’ impact on the environment. One resident suggested light displays or drone shows could be a substitute for public fireworks shows.

Some backyard fireworks propose, in letters to council, said city hall should be enforcing the rules on the books now instead of embarking on a bylaw overhaul. Others said backyard fireworks bring neighbors together and are subject to strict safety regulations by the federal government.

Based on feedback he’s received from his constituents so far, Pribil said fireworks are a community focal point.

“The fireworks display also bring people in the neighborhoods together where the new friendships start and the old ones reconnect, especially during our fast-paced lifestyles and after the social isolation during the pandemic, people value and cherish such occasions more than ever before,” he said.

The goal is to have the revamped bylaw in effect in the first three months of 2024, the report to the committee said.

[email protected]