By Pepper Parr
July 2, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
With what passes for a snappy headline the city communications people want to know what you thought of the fireworks/drone presentation on Canada Day?
How much did this cost?
Canada Day fireworks and drone display – y’eh or n’eh?
The City is looking for feedback on the use of drone and firework displays for Canada Day through an online survey at getinvolvedburlington.ca/dronesurvey. The survey is open now until July 9.
This year was the first time the City has used a drone display as part of the Canada Day festivities. The drone display was done before the traditional fireworks display.
The feedback gathered from the survey will be used to evaluate the two displays’ effectiveness and measure residents’ desire to expand the use of drones or continue with a traditional fireworks display in future years.
A report to Council was submitted March 4. A follow-up report will be going to Council with a recommendation on future use of drones and fireworks in the fall.
Telling the public how much was spent might help people decide what they are prepared to pay for.
To take the survey, visit getinvolvedburlington.ca/dronesurvey.
Angela Paparizo, Manager of Arts and Culture asks: Should we combine drones and fireworks again, or choose just one? That’s what we need to hear from residents.”
FIREWORKS days annually are the highest
Carcinogenic exposure is from fireworks. Toxic.
Fallout significantly negative impacts marine life. Th trying to escape and lost in the bombing of their hat about the real impact of fireworks is very similar to t stove industry keeps SECTET. With our planet on lift temperatures now, our dear Mother Earth on Life Su this pleasure of destruction, burning and scorching waste and deadly air for all people and our dear chil can wake up and adopt safe, clean and respect for k marketing by the Non Profit FW Industry is very loce SAY NO TO HARM. We must do as Montremblant N Canada faces billions of animals killed and soon smi remind us of our of deadly dangerous hazardous wil pretty but pretty coloured carcinogenic chemicals
Indisputable evidence proves this short term’Entertainment’
has extremely hazardous consequences on both heath and environment.
Town after town have permitted this unjustifiable burning of the sky with hazardous explosive military chemicals as fun.
DATA shows the harmful health effects from this pollution lasts for days , in fact, the 4 FIREWORKS days annually are the highest concentrations of Pm2.5 and Carcinogenic exposure is from fireworks. Toxic.
Fallout significantly negative impacts marine life. The sadness of so many birds trying to escape and lost in the bombing of their habitat . What humans know about the real impact of fireworks is very similar to the knowledge the wood stove industry keeps SECTET. With our planet on life support, as we watch west temperatures now, our dear Mother Earth on Life Support , surely to continue this pleasure of destruction , burning and scorching leaving a night smog of waste and deadly air for all people and our dear children to breathe, surely we can wake up and adopt safe, clean and respect for birds habitat. This mass marketing by the Non Profit FW Industry is very locally pressured . ITS TIME TO SAY NO TO HARM. We must do as Montremblant Mayor did, BAN FIREWORKS. Canada faces billions of animals killed and soon smoke from forest fires will remind us of our of deadly dangerous hazardous willful blindness . Fireworks are pretty but pretty coloured carcinogenic chemicals are another similar
‘Addiction’ to habits that have to go the way of the wringet washer machine. LEADERS who educate themselves and people know Technology and sustainable ethical policies are our only hope for a livable future and for protection and prevention of harm today.
Stella Haley
Founder: Citizens For Environmental Heath
Drones vs Fireworks
Drones :
Cause less air pollution (during our climate crisis)
Require less insurance (?)
Less risk of fire – and injury from fire
Fewer firefighters needed
♻️ Reusable
Fewer empty shell casings going to landfill
⚛️ Growing modern technology
Good during daytime and or (light) rain
Less noise pollution
️ Less triggering for victims of war
Dog Friendly
Smaller crowds (because fewer people will watch them than fireworks)
Safer to store + handle
Can be used on days other than Canada Day & Victoria Day
No gunpowder residue on the lake water to harm fish and waterfowl
Fireworks are thousands of years old while Drone technology is in its infancy. As it evolves – the cost of drones goes down – and the effects of what they can do goes up. The show last night at Spencer Smith park featured about 75 drones.
Imagine thousands hovering in animated synchronicity.
Very well said Alan. Explaining these facts to people is a rather important factor for them to know before doing the survey. The city should be educating and informing the public on this – that is, if they really want the public to understand and think about the true cost of fireworks vs newer and improved options. The article below has been sent to council more than once.
Councillor Lisa Kearns last year had her summer interns work on and research this topic. They concluded, for many of the reasons you stated here, that the city should switch to drones. They prepared an extremely well written and detailed report. This was presented to council and staff from Lisa and I am hoping that this is the beginning of making permanent changes. But this survey doesn’t do the job, in my opinion.
https://thestarfish.ca/journal/2022/03/the-negative-impact-of-fireworks
Funny that they claim to be looking for feedback on fireworks but have ignored every bit of feedback I’ve ever made on the matter – namely that regular fireworks should go the way of the dodo bird as they are terrible for the environment, wildlife and pets. Cities around the world are leading in this regard and have banned fireworks and the sale of fireworks and are replacing with environmentally friendly alternatives. Having drones is one good alternate option but not when you still do the regular ones anyway.
And they refuse to answer as to why they don’t enforce their own bylaws which prohibits residents from setting off their own fireworks except on May 24 and July 1 only. As any resident can tell you, the fireworks are set off every day of every long weekend, for hours on end and rival professional displays with how loud and constant they are – these aren’t the little lame ones of yesteryear where dad would send one off, it likely fizzled out and then you’d all wait several minutes for the next dud, maybe getting two decent ones in total. I wonder where these are being set off as they sound right behind my street, in several different directions, maybe in the bike path and surely near houses, trees and people.
As I said in my latest email dated today on the matter of bylaw enforcement, “My gosh, there can’t be an easier bylaw infringement to find: they’re literally lighting flares to lead you right to them and you can mark the dates in your calendar before hand. You ticket cars parked on residential streets and police people’s gardens or private trees – why not this one, which causes much more harm?“
My and all feedback should count despite the latest city survey which can be skewed as usual.