Brantford banning use of personal fireworks within city limits

Fireworks are shown in this stock image. (Pexels)

People living in Brantford will need to head outside of the city to set off personal fireworks in 2027.

During a council meeting on Tuesday night, councillors voted in favour of a motion to ban the use of consumer fireworks in the city starting in January. Larger, permitted public displays will still be allowed.

However, people will still be able to buy fireworks from Brantford businesses.

“Those midnight explosions will not stop”

Originally, the motion being considered included a ban on both the consumer use and sale of the celebratory staple.

Jeff Derks, the owner of Maxpower Fireworks on Edmondson Street, spoke to council ahead of the vote.

“Over 80 per cent of our sales are from customers coming from outside the City of Brantford,” Derks explained. “We get people all the way from Windsor, Sarnia, Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo and all of the GTA. We bring these customers into the city, they may buy gas or go for dinner or do some more shopping within the city. We would lose all those sales with a ban on selling fireworks within city limits.”

He warned that a ban would only hurt businesses like his while people who wanted to bring fireworks into the city could still do so by buying them in neighbouring communities.

“The ban will not stop people from setting off fireworks. People will go to the reserve, which has less restrictions than we have. Those midnight explosions will not stop.”

He said the benefit to keeping his business open was the relationship he has with customers that offers an opportunity for education about local bylaws and restrictions.

“The ban takes away joy and I think we need more reasons for joy.”

Councillor Dan McCreary asked Derk if he would prepared to not sell fireworks to people who live in the city. Derk said he would, but also said many Brantford residents buy fireworks from his company and set them off elsewhere, such as Brant County.

Councillor Linda Hunt brought forward an amendment to remove the portion of the motion referencing the sale of fireworks in the city.

“My issue with banning the sale of consumer fireworks is that it puts, as we’ve heard tonight, a Brantford business at a very distinct disadvantage,” Hunt said. “People, and call them the bad actors that are likely going to go and buy fireworks anyway, can drive 10 minutes out of town and still buy them and set them off.”

Councillor Greg Martin pushed back.

“I’ll be voting against the amendment because I think it makes the whole resolution redundant,” he said.

“If we don’t ban the sale, we’re going to have the same problems with people that don’t obey the rules now,” Martin added.

Hunt’s amendment passed with Martin as the lone holdout.

Ultimately, council voted to ban the use of private fireworks by a vote of 9 – 2. They also approved an amendment to require signs informing customers about the rules within the city.