Bernard Roy’s opinion about fireworks being a nice thing to watch is shared by many. Fireworks look nice…to humans.
He reports that birds and animals should be given credit…an interesting opinion.
But perhaps facts can help people understand why this pretty entertainment form is so challenging:
Birds and animals can sense barometric changes before thunderstorms to prepare for them. There are local residents whose horses, cats and dogs suffer greatly from the sudden sounds of fireworks, sometimes panicking and taking off as far away as possible for hours or days, according to discussions I have had.
In May 2018, it is thought that sparks from an amateur fireworks demo caused a fatal fire at Sunnybrook Stables in Toronto, killing all 16 horses. A barn in St Thomas went up in flames after some fireworks strayed into it, causing over $1M in damage in 2023. We would not want to entertain the thought of our national parks going up in flames as a result of poorly managed fireworks, or distress to birds or wildlife, let alone domestic animals.
The fire permits were instituted in the North Bruce because so many calls to residences holding fireworks or fires were becoming a nuisance to the fire department, made up almost entirely of local volunteers. “The complaints did add up and it caused a lot of people to question the use of fireworks within the municipality, hence the changes to the by-law,” said [Fire Chief Jack] Burt in a Bayshore Broadcasting news article.
Over 400 cities in China banned fireworks because of the environmental impact of fireworks and the safety perils of pyrotechnic activities. However not wanting to prevent other places from compromising their safety and air quality, China makes and exports 90% of the fireworks sold globally, an industry that makes a LOT of money – more than $1B(US) annually.
People including our combat veterans that suffer from PTSD may have psychological triggers hearing the sounds and inhaling the smells of fireworks.
The myriad of chemicals used in fireworks are harmful, e.g. potassium chlorate, mixed with sulphur for easy ignition. Potassium chlorate is known to interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland if ingested or inhaled (in smoke). Most of the metals (used to make the colours) and perchlorate have a strong resistance to breaking down ecologically. Do we want even more ecological insults to Lake Huron and Georgian Bay?
And perhaps the most disgusting fact is that fireworks appear frequently on the U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs list of products produced with child or forced labour in violation of international standards (China, El Salvador, Peru and India).
We all like fun things. Ever played with mercury in your bare hands, or remember sleeping in the back window of your parents’ cars pre-seat belt laws? Helmets on NHL players are a relatively new thing, saving many from life-altering concussions, and in the old days we could buy a pack of ‘smokes’ for our parents at age 7. Even now people drive while using their cell phones. Things change, laws are put into place for good reason, our health is important, as is the health of the Earth.
Fireworks look pretty, but times change and there are great alternatives (e.g. drone displays) that are safe, beautiful and a creative alternative to an arcane form of visual presentation that is rife with issues.
By the way, over 1,200 people have signed the petition started just one month ago. We hope our Council will take notice of the taxpayers who want change.
B Dywan,
Tobermory
