If you belong to any of the Oakville Facebook groups, you’ll know that posts about fireworks invariably create piles of chatter and a fair amount of animosity.
Complaints about terrified dogs, hooligan-like teens and garbage in the parks dominate one side of the conversation.
In response, others paint fireworks as fun, harmless and celebratory. They suggest dog training and accuse complainers of being grouchy party-poopers.
Ward 3 councillor Janet Haslett-Theall aptly summed up the situation during a town council discussion on Nov. 20.
"People either love their fireworks or hate them," she said.
Whatever your feelings on the fireworks front, the mayor and town councillors want to hear them.
A plan to seek out public opinion was council’s response to a staff report outlining options for reducing the use of consumer fireworks.
Town bylaws already ban the use of fireworks on streets or in parks without special permission. Vendors are also limited on how and when they can sell them.
Fines for violating the bylaws start at $300 and increase to $400 for a second offence and $500 for a third offence.
But ensuring people follow those rules is a challenge, admitted Jim Barry, the town’s director of municipal enforcement services.
"Enforcement of fireworks is very difficult because it can be a very transient situation," he said.
Fireworks complaints lodged with the town dropped from 155 in 2021, to 85 in 2022, to only 38 as of mid-September this year.
Milton bans fireworks sale and use
The report received by councillors noted that fireworks bans are in place in several Ontario municipalities, with a number of other communities actively investigating the idea.
Last week, Milton council banned the sale, distribution and discharge of consumer fireworks in response to complaints from residents.
But Aleem Kanji, chief advocacy officer for the Canadian National Fireworks Association (CFNA), told councillors that communities are finding bans are ineffective and unenforceable.
"I can tell you that (a ban) won’t be followed in this community," he said. "Residents will continue to use the products."
Instead, he said council should focus on improving public education, to help people use fireworks safely and responsibly.
"Based on our work in communities across Canada, education is the solution," he said. "The CNFA’s vendor certification and employee training program is available to your staff, your residents and anyone in the community at no cost."
"Our courses have been used by hundreds of people in other cities, they’ve been embedded into fireworks bylaws, and we’d be happy to do what is required to create that made-in-Oakville solution for you."
Several councillors expressed skepticism that a public education campaign would be effective.
Their comments were echoed by Mike Parsons, a resident whose property backs onto Joshua Creek Park: "You can’t educate kids that come with a grocery bag full of fireworks that they bought from a kaboom truck," he said.
Parsons said he cleans up two or three bags of fireworks-related garbage from the park after every major holiday.
He added that during last week’s Diwali celebrations, he saw kids shooting fireworks at each other and at park facilities until 3 a.m.
He urged the town to come up with a solution, possibly in the form of hefty fines.
But councillor Jeff Knoll said he believes some groups within the town are accepting of fireworks as a way of celebrating and bringing people together.
"I think there’s an acceptance of it but there’s no tolerance for bad behaviours and there’s a need for ongoing education," he said.
Town council voted to spend the next year gathering feedback from residents about fireworks use before considering additional regulations.