RDN to look into regulating sale of consumer-grade fireworks

Salter says she also questions why the district is focusing on banning the sale of fireworks when there seem to be no reported problems from them. Photo: Jingda Chen / Unsplash

The Regional District of Nanaimo will be looking into regulating the sale of consumer-grade fireworks within District 69 and District 68.

At a Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) meeting on Tuesday, June 25, a motion was on the agenda for staff to prepare a report on the potential options for regulating the sale of consumer-grade fireworks within the two districts, as well as enforcement and cost recovery options for prohibiting the discharge of consumer-grade fireworks.

This comes after a Fire Services Advisory Committee meeting on May 8 which proposed banning consumer-grade fireworks and setting them off within Districts 68 and 69.

District 69 includes Electoral Areas E, F, G and H, the Town of Qualicum Beach and the City of Parksville, and District 68 includes Electoral Areas A, B and C, the District of Lantzville and the City of Nanaimo.

The committee voted to recommend to the board, that RDN staff look into the options regarding the sales and enforcement and coast recovery for the fireworks for Districts 68 and 69 and report back at a future meeting.

At the RDN Board Meeting, director for Electoral Area A Jessica Stanley introduced the motion, saying the fire chiefs who attended the Fire Services Advisory Committee meeting suggested the need to look into fireworks risks and solutions.

“They were noting down the long-standing drought that we have in this community, and as well the risk of fire as a result of the average person setting off fireworks,” Stanley said. “So they felt that it was time that we reconsidered–at least evaluated the options with regards to the regulation and enforcement of fireworks, acknowledging that there may be some limitations that we have looked at before.”

Director for Electoral Area G Lehann Wallace said she is in support of the report so the conversation around banning the sale of fireworks can be moved forward.

“This comes back to the board every couple of years and now I think we have an unprecedented number of years with drought, we have an area that's rapidly developing, we have confusing boundaries in the area, and we have a provincial park, where some of these fireworks are being utilized as well,” Wallace said.

Director for Electoral Area F Leanne Salter said she does not see a reason for another report on fireworks sales as they have already received three in the past.

“Why do we think the staff couldn't do the report, right, so now they're going to do a new one. And that's going to be different,” Salter said. “That's one thing I'd like to ask because I'm pretty sure that they did all the research that they had to do the last two or three times that they prepared the same reports for us.”

She said she also questions why the district is focusing on banning the sale of fireworks when there seem to be no reported problems from them.

“We've got no house fires that have occurred as a result of fireworks and we have other very difficult, very dangerous things that we live with every day that are not a problem,” Salter said. “This is to me, is us looking for a problem that does not exist and getting a fourth report that will be the same as the other three. Makes no sense.” 

Director and Mayor of Nanaimo Leonard Krog pointed out that the City of Nanaimo has a ban on the sale of fireworks and under the fireworks regulation bylaw can only be discharged with a valid permit. 

But he said while there is a ban on fireworks sales and permits are needed, every Halloween and sometimes New Year's Eve, fireworks are still fired off consistently and he’s not aware of any complaints from neighbours about the fireworks.

“Where's the evidence that in fact, we're seeing some dreadful things arise from the use end to end or abuse of fireworks?” Krog said. “I just think we have some real issues to deal with in the Regional District.”

Director and Mayor of Parksville Doug O'Brien said while the City of Parksville also has put a ban on the sale of fireworks in the city and only allows the firing of them with a permit, this doesn't stop tourists from buying them in other parts of District 69 and bringing them back to fire in city grounds.

“So the tourists that love to go into Coombs to do their Goats on the Roof shopping will stop and buy some fireworks,” O’Brien said. “They don't know the [RDN area], they don't know what is Parksville and they don’t know what is not Parksville, and they come back with a truckload of fireworks and they go down to the beach, and they set off the fireworks all along the beach.”

He said as tourists who do not know better fire off fireworks all year round, it worries local businesses about the impact the fireworks could have in case they do catch something on fire. 

“We're affected by the sales from another jurisdiction that directly affects the city of Parksville and the well-being of our businesses and our community,” he said.

Director and councillor for the City of Nanaimo Sheryl Armstrong said a ban on selling fireworks will not stop people from buying them elsewhere and bringing them back to other places.

“Right now you can only possess [fireworks] one week out of the year anyhow which is October 24 to November 1 legally,” Armstrong said. “So I don't know how we're going to solve the problem. The City [of Nanaimo] got a ban, we have a huge problem year-round.” 

In the end, the motion to direct staff to prepare a report on the potential options for regulating the sale of consumer-grade fireworks within Districts 68 And 69, as well as enforcement and cost recovery options for prohibiting the discharge of consumer-grade fireworks passed 10 in favour and seven opposed.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.