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Saturday, June 12, 2021

FIREWORKS - FOLLOWING WIDESPREAD PUBLIC REACTION TO WHAT HAPPENED IN T.O. WATERFRONT PARKS ON VICTORIA DAY, FOSS WELCOMES CITY COUNCIL'S UNANIMOUS ADOPTION OF NEW MOTION


From Councillor Grimes' latest newsletter ....


 "Fireworks Bylaw"

Last October, I moved a motion to request that the City review the fireworks bylaw to see how it could be reformed to respond to the persistent use of fireworks that we saw last summer. Earlier in May, staff reported back with the Response to Increased Unpermitted Fireworks Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we have seen since the May 24 weekend, there has been a need to strengthen the staff recommendations in the report.

I drafted a motion to reopen the item, which Councillors Holyday and Crawford moved on my behalf, and was adopted unanimously by City Council. The motion directs staff to:

  1. immediately ban the possession of fireworks in a City of Toronto park;

  2. identify a funding source for Municipal Licensing and Standards By-law Officers to enforce fireworks regulations after midnight on the following dates: July 1 to July 4, 2021; July 30 to August 2, 2021; September 3 to September 6, 2021;       
  1. immediately apply to the Province of Ontario, and take any other steps
    required, to double fireworks-related set fines;
  1. immediately install permanent No Fireworks signage in Marie Curtis Park, Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Humber Bay Park West, Humber Bay Park East, Humber Bay Shores Park and any other parks with higher rates of fireworks non-compliance under the Parks By-law, in consultation with the local Councillor;
  1. immediately launch an information campaign, including transit shelter and electronic billboard ads, to educate the public on the rules and reinforce that Victoria Day and Canada Day are the only two days that fireworks are allowed; and 
  1. explore the feasibility of introducing new City of Toronto fines under the noise by-law and report back in the third quarter of 2021 to the Economic and Community Development Committee."

You can read the full motion here, and watch the council item here.- ---  more details are in newsletter

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