Council directs staff to monitor wildfire threats ahead of Canada Day fireworks shows

FORT ST. JOHN B.C. — Fort St. John council has directed staff to monitor the risks of wildfires posed to the city due to Canada Day fireworks displays. 

Staff will determine if the fireworks will be cancelled or not on the Friday before the Canada Day long weekend based on drought and weather conditions. 

The city will continue to host its Canada Day festivities at Centennial Park unless staff feels threats are too high. 

In a report to council on March 11th, staff recommended postponing all Canada Day fireworks shows indefinitely and making micro-grants available to the community, similar to last year.

The motion was voted down after council concluded that cancelling all fireworks displays going forward was inappropriate and should be addressed year by year. 

“Banning fireworks in perpetuity, I’m not in favour of that,” said Councillor Tony Zabinsky during the March 11th council meeting.

Councillor Trevor Bolin said passing the recommendation would result in the public setting off their own fireworks.

“If we do this, we are in for a free-for-all,” said Bolin. 

In the report to council, Chief Administrative Officer Milo MacDonald said that dry summers have made it challenging to provide safe and reliable fireworks shows in the past.  

“Drought conditions have caused late cancellations to our Canada Day fireworks and these come at significant cost both financially and in terms of impact to the Canada Day celebrations,” said MacDonald. 

According to the report, wildfire risks peak between May and September, and B.C. experienced 2,245 wildfires in 2023, burning almost three million acres of land. 

The report also says fireworks cause extensive air pollution quickly, leaving metal particles, dangerous toxins, harmful chemicals, and smoke in the air for days.

The city allocates $25,000 each year for Canada Day fireworks shows.

According to the report, up to $10,000 saved from cancelling the fireworks would have been reallocated to micro-grants for local organizations to organize events on Canada Day, and $15,000 of the funds would have been used to pre-pay for the New Year’s Eve fireworks display later this year. 

Other municipalities like Prince George, Vancouver, and Cultus Lake have cancelled their Canada Day fireworks shows. 

The full report can be viewed below: