Towards Freedom

Send emails to:

CVRD (Cowichan Valley Regional District) legislativeservices@cvrd.bc.ca
CVD (City of Victoria) mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca
(Don't know what to write? Check out some sample letters.)

Canada-wide, sign petition e4351.
Note that the petition additionally outlines some serious health issues highlighted by various physicians and anti-pollution groups and is quite instructive!

Subscribe to the bi-weekly SayNoToFireworks Newsletter to be in the know about what is going on!

To report unlawful fireworks discharge:

in the CVRD contact:

• 250.746.2655 (Electoral Areas, Ladysmith, Lake Cowichan)
• 250.746.3266 (North Cowichan)

in the Victoria area contact:

• 250.475.1775 (Saanich)
• 250.995.7654 (City of Victoria)

There are 3 primary areas: noise, light, debris. All these can be hazardous to animal and human well-being. Additionally, users of fireworks can experience injuries or even death. For more detail, see the section Problems and Solutions.

You can play defense by using heavy curtains, eye shades, ear plugs and even a gas mask! Unfortunately, these measures do not protect your pets, livestock or the wildlife. Alternately, you can be pro-active and educate your politicians and community to this threat to well-being and try to lobby for laws to ban fireworks. For more detail, see the section Problems and Solutions.

The CVRD does not allow the sale of fireworks in its jurisdiction. The present fine for illegal sales is $750. Illegal (without license) discharge fine is set at $250. For more information, see CVRD Guidelines.

Of course. Those who claim a ban would be difficult to enforce therefore don't ban fireworks, are simply avoiding the problem. You need something to enforce in order to enforce it. If you have nothing, you accomplish nothing. Ian MacDonald who is the CVRD manager of building inspection and bylaw enforcement said that 'a total ban would be easier to enforce' and (former) director Lori Iannidinardo pointed out that a ban 'would make it clear to everyone what the rules around fireworks are'.

What a ban accomplishes is to put the law on our side.

The problem isn't with the sellers. The problem is with the buyers.

In the 1970s, the Non-Smokers Rights Association didn't try to stop the sale of cigarettes or stop people from smoking. What they did was to make smoking unpopular by making it clear to non-smokers that their right to clean air overrode a smoker's right to pollute it.

We can utilize a similar approach with fireworks. There is no need to stop the sale of fireworks. There is a need to eliminate the opportunity to set them off (ie a ban) and to make those engaged in such activities unpopular. Law enforcement may not always be able to catch the violator, but for most people it's not nice to know the neighbors are ticked off.

When there are no buyers, the sellers will disappear too.

No. Those 3 times are severely traumatic for many people, pets, livestock and wildlife (sometimes even causing deaths). We wouldn't permit car racing on our streets 3 times a year, permit robbery 3 times a year, permit assault 3 times a year. These destructive displays are 3 too many! What is even worse is that the more one tolerates, the worse it gets: in some places, where action is not taken, fireworks can go on for weeks. Tolerance of the abominable is itself an abomination.

Quite a few actually. Some of them relate directly to a possible fireworks ban in the CVRD. They are available in the News Articles section which is continuously updated.

Peace and quiet might be nice. There are also 'silent' fireworks and drone shows. Articles on both may be found in our Media section under The Sounds of Silence.

You will find journal articles and other documentation in our Research Papers section which is frequently updated.

We ask people to send us their unfortunate encounters with fireworks in the Stories section. Just fill out the form from there and we'll take care of the rest!

You can find groups to join in our Websites and Social Media.

You can also join our Elists where we communicate via email.

Here are some things you can do to inform others about this site:

• send them the link: towardsfreedom.com/ff

• distribute the Fireworks Frustration Graphics

  • physically by card or flyer
  • electronically on social media using the image file

Yes we do! Check in our Resources section:
How to ban fireworks in your community

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Fireworks Frustration Homepage