Residents furious after ear-splitting private fireworks startle downtown Vancouver (VIDEO)
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A clamorous display of fireworks left some downtown Vancouver residents angry and concerned for their pets on Tuesday night.
Organized for a private function at Vancouver Convention Centre, the fireworks began at 9:30 pm in the Burrard Inlet.
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The convention centre announced that the fireworks were going to take place in advance at around 2:30 pm on Twitter. But some residents were not expecting them, and were left startled and annoyed.
Big surprise fireworks show on the Coal Harbour waterfront for a private event at Vancouver Convention Centre. š pic.twitter.com/gnHhc4BsfI
ā Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) August 17, 2022
Tonight at 9:30 PM, there will be a fireworks display for approx. 10 minutes in the Burrard Inlet, organized independently as part of a private function.@PortVancouver @CityofVancouver
ā Vancouver Convention Centre (@VanConventions) August 16, 2022
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Prior to Tuesday evening, the last private fireworks at the convention centre was staged on May 3.
Though private fireworks happen at the convention centre a handful of times per year, and are permitted by the City, some people were not ready for them. Several took to social media to complain.
If you have enough $ you can get City approval to annoy the entire downtown core on a Tuesday night!
ā skream (friday) (@zzzaaaes) August 17, 2022
The sudden fireworks terrified not just people, but also pets and birds across the downtown Vancouver area.
What a nightmare for those in Coal Harbour and dt, it was SO LOUD, my pets were terrified, the birds outside went bezerk and I live in a tower surrounded by 1000s of people in other towers, all pet friendly, dogs were howling and I had no notice or time to prepare
ā Teresa M (@tweetwirp) August 17, 2022
Some people complained that the convention centre did not do enough to warn residents so they could prepare themselves and their pets.
You could have done more to inform people (and their pets). šš
ā Alex šŗš¦š³ļøāššŗšøšØš¦ (@Sanvers_TV) August 17, 2022
On behalf of all the dogs in mount pleasant that I heard freaking out, this sucked. Not cool. https://t.co/iGrtcz8rge
ā Sara Bynoe (@sarabynoe) August 17, 2022
“For those of us that don’t follow this Twitter account, what’s the point of this announcement?” one person asked.
for those of us that don’t follow this twitter account, what’s the point of this announcement?! Only found out when I heard the explosions and became worried… not sure why ‘private’ functions are allowed to do this! #horrified https://t.co/V8pF7ncuEg
ā MRyder (@MaryRyder013) August 17, 2022
Another said the convention centre should have cautioned people way in advance, like the Celebration of Lights does for their fireworks show.
“Itās objectively dumb that people with money get to inconvenience and annoy the rest of us,” they added.
For people with pets, or trauma, or allergies, at least the Festival of Lights gives you a lot of advance warning. Itās objectively dumb that people with money get to inconvenience and annoy the rest of us. https://t.co/cIoI28XHcA
ā Ian the NHL non-fan (@i_thompson14) August 17, 2022
Thanks to the people that ordered fireworks tonight. What an incredible treat! Congrats on whatever you are celebrating. https://t.co/mzqG0SmmWI
ā Becky Riordan (@camphalfblood) August 17, 2022
While some said that they liked the unanticipated display of fireworks, others were put off by the idea of a privately organized show as such, and the fact that someone could get a permit from the City to do this on a weeknight.
But a more advanced warning would effectively be an open invitation to everyone, all of Vancouver, to the seawall and parks. Private fireworks shows are put on with little warning beforehand for the reason of eliminating the major costs of crowd control, traffic control, policing, public safety, and street/seawall/park garbage cleaning. For these reasons, public fireworks events attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators cost exponentially more than private fireworks; the real cost of public fireworks events is not the fireworks, but the cost of logistics, policing, private security, sanitation, and crowd and traffic control. This is a difference between private fireworks that cost only tens of thousands of dollars and public fireworks that cost at least several hundred thousand dollars.
Was your night disrupted by the fireworks, or did you enjoy the surprise show?
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