Cambridge council defers fireworks decision

As the debate about fireworks rages on, one council said they need more time to decide what kind of regulations they want to impose.

The discussion came before Cambridge council Tuesday night. As in other jurisdictions, councillors considered reducing the number of hours that fireworks could be lawfully set off, banning the sale of fireworks within the city and increasing fines for people who defy the bylaw.

The concerns brought before council mirrored what has been presented at other council meetings throughout Waterloo Region: noise, environmental impacts and safety.

A recent incident on Victoria Day was specifically mentioned. In that case, fireworks were stolen from a convenience store at the intersection of St. Andrews Street and Southwood Drive. The suspects then threw rocks and shot fireworks at several people in a parking lot before leaving the area. Minor injuries were reported.

Several delegates, including people who sell fireworks, spoke to council, urging them not to implement a sales ban in the city. They noted people can still buy fireworks outside of the city and bring them home or order them online.

“The problem isn’t fireworks,” Aleem Kanji, chief advocacy officer with the Canadian National Fireworks Association, said. “It’s illegal use and limited enforcement capacity as we heard from staff. A sales ban does not solve that.”

However, some delegates did not get to have their say as council deferred the decision until the city has updated its noise bylaw. That change is expected to happen later this summer.

In the meantime, city staff have been asked to draft a proposed bylaw for council to consider.