A long list of people were waiting in line Tuesday night to have their say on the City of Guelph’s fireworks bylaw.

The big question facing councilors: Should backyard fireworks be allowed in the city?

In a report, staff recommended that the bylaw be updated to a permit-based system after gathering public feedback during several engagement sessions.

According to staff, 65 percent of people who provided feedback were not or very supportive of unregulated public and private fireworks displays.

The staff report goes on to say that 56 percent of respondents were either supportive or very supportive of a total ban on fireworks.

Several themes emerged from the surveys, including noise and environmental concerns and a call for stricter enforcement of existing statutes and regulations.

Have their say

Many people came to the council to speak on the future of fireworks in the city. Delegates included community members, industry experts and a representative from the Guelph Humane Society.

One of the speakers, Erica Hogan, a franchisee at Phatboy Fireworks, said she has been selling fireworks since she was a teenager.

She said bans in other cities have had a significant impact on her life.

“I had a store in Woodstock that was closed because of a fireworks regulation. I lost all that income,” Hogan said. “I had to sell my house, my husband and I had to review our finances, we had to stop investing money in the community. »

During her delegation, she emphasized that she understood the community’s concerns, but she believed those concerns could be addressed by taking a closer look at law enforcement.

“I truly believe that in reevaluating the bylaw and the officers who are supposed to handle it and be there, that should be the first thing we look at.”

Impact on animals

Later in the meeting, Lisa Veit, executive director of the Guelph Humane Society, took the podium. She said the humane society fully supported the idea of ​​moving to a permit-based system or even implementing a total ban.

“For many dogs, the reaction to fireworks is extreme and the impact, not only on the animal, but also on its family, is severe,” she said. “In fact, a scientific study showed that more than half of dog owners reported significant stress in their pets during fireworks, with symptoms ranging from trembling to hiding to self-harm.”

“Regarding this intense fear response, there is also ample evidence that fireworks cause such fear in many animals that they flee otherwise familiar environments and people and unfortunately become lost or (found involved in) life-threatening situations, such as being at risk of being hit by a car,” she said. We have witnessed this scenario at GHS with an increase in reports of lost animals in the evening. and the day after the fireworks holiday.

She added that the humane society also sees wild animals being injured during fireworks.

“At GHS, we have seen first-hand the impact on wildlife. We have observed numerous cases of Canada goose deaths and injuries occurring on roadways during or immediately after a fireworks display due to the birds’ disorientation causing them to fly directly into traffic.

Bring people together

But for some, fireworks have become a tradition that brings communities together.

“When we moved to Guelph, for my young children, it was an opportunity to bring neighbors together to celebrate and socialize. We’ve been doing this for 20 years. On our street, for many new neighbors, the Victoria Day fireworks celebration is the first time they actually meet the neighbors. So it’s an opportunity to build community,” resident David Calder said. “Every year it will be people who, after the show is over, I will come up on deck, and there will be people I have never met before. I think it’s just wonderful. I think this is something the city should try to promote.

Toward the end of his delegation, Calder implored the council to continue allowing private fireworks shows.

“If you put permits and regulations in place, well (the neighborhood show) stops,” he said.

“For 20 years, we have been welcoming our friends, our family, our neighbors and what has been proposed puts an end to that. A community development event would end.

For a fireworks retailer, it all comes down to finding a balance.

“Our view is that we are actually advocating for tougher penalties against abuse, including use on days that are not permitted by the regulations.” Rocket Fireworks Inc. President Tom Jacobs said in an interview with CTV News on Wednesday.

“It’s really about people having different interests and it’s just about being considerate when you pursue your interests and then finding a balance and understanding that not everyone is going to enjoy your hobby,” he added. “But if we’re all respectful to each other, we can say, ‘Oh, sure, we can allow this for a few days, or two or three days a year, to celebrate something.'”

He said enforcement and education are key to ensuring fireworks can be enjoyed without disturbing the community at large.

“I would say the fines are very significant. We really want to send a strong message to people,” he said. “It’s really just a few bad apples ruining the lives of all good families who want to have fun. This fine will help us send a strong message to people that the community does not tolerate this type of behavior.

Decision

The idea of ​​creating a permit-based system was ultimately rejected in favor of changes to the existing regulation.

City staff have been asked to consider higher fines for people who violate the bylaw, but no specific amount has been discussed at council.

The Council approved a motion to define minimum safety distances from vulnerable places, such as schools, retirement homes and other care facilities.

Council also amended the by-law to remove the day before Canada Day and the day before Victoria Day as authorized days for setting off fireworks.

An amendment was also passed allowing the sale of fireworks in the seven days before Diwali. Previously, the regulations only allowed fireworks to be launched on the public holiday.