Fireworks ban and increased fines likely coming for Brampton

Canada Day fireworks light up lock 32 on the Trent Canal System in Bobcaygeon, Ont., on Monday, July 1, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill

Brampton residents might not be able to set off personal fireworks for holidays anymore after a motion to ban them was unanimously passed following increased complaints of excessive noise.

On Wednesday, Regional Councillor Dennis Keenan – who represents Wards 3 and 4 in the city – brought forward a motion to amend the fireworks by-law to ban the sale and use of fireworks, as well as increase the current fines.

It was seconded by Regional Councillor Gurpartap Toor of Wards 9 and 10.

“As promised during my recent electoral campaign, I’m sitting on Brampton City Council to make change – to voice the concerns of our residents, and take action on issues for the betterment of our community,” Keenan said in a news release.

The motion is expected to be ratified at the next city council meeting.

Currently, residents are only allowed to set off fireworks four times a year on their private properties: on Victoria Day, Canada Day, Diwali and New Year’s Eve.

They can also only fire short-range pyrotechnics – that travel less than three metres, roughly the height of a basketball hoop – off their private property for those holidays. Fireworks that fly higher than that are illegal as well as setting them off on public spaces like sidewalks, streets or parks.

If the motion does get ratified, the proposal will immediately scrap all of the rules that allowed residents to set off short-range fireworks without a permit on holidays like Victoria Day, Canada Day, Diwali, and New Year’s Eve.

The film industry and city-run events will be excluded from this ban.

The fines will be harsher for those who break the rules, if the motion passes. The fine will go from $350 to $500, while selling fireworks will go from $350 to $1,000.

According to the city, shortly under 1,500 fireworks-related complaints were made this year, citing excessive noise, fire safety concerns and litter as part of the grievances. Compared to 2018, there were 492.

So far, the city’s By-law and Enforcement team said they issued over $38,000 in fines this year.

The motion comes weeks after a year-old petition started circulating, looking to restrict fireworks in Brampton and its surrounding areas. As of Wednesday morning, over 8,700 people have signed it.