Vancouver city council to decide on fireworks ban tonight

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Several nearby municipalities have already done it, and come Tuesday evening, Vancouver city council will become the latest to decide whether to ban personal fireworks.

There are strong opinions on both sides of the debate, and a petition to ban the explosives has already garnered more than 3,500 signatures.

Raymond Greenwood, who was instrumental in bringing the Benson and Hedges Symphony of Fire to the city, plans to be at cty hall for the council meeting. He’s hoping Councillor Peter Fry’s motion does not go ahead.

“In my store, we had a petition and we had over four pages signed asking Councillor Fry to stop grandstanding and take away the motion,” he says, adding a ban is not necessary because there are already strict laws surrounding their sale.

RELATED: Vancouver Fire backs fireworks ban after $360,000 in damage Halloween night

The Vancouver Fire Department joined the call for a ban this year after Halloween night saw hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and many fireworks-related calls.

Consumer fireworks are already prohibited in a number of B.C. cities, but right now in Vancouver, anyone over 19 years old can buy them in the days leading up to Halloween.

Greenwood says a ban would be a terrible decision.

“Please, councillors, do not vote in favour of this motion,” he says. “Leave the fun in the city of Vancouver, because this is just the opening salvo to ban the Celebration of Light and other firework shows.”