Vancouver just approved a motion to ban the sale of fireworks

Consumer-grade fireworks at a store. (Shutterstock)

It looks like Halloween 2019 may have been one of the last chances Vancouverites had to blow up consumer-grade fireworks — after council approved a motion to ban both the use and sale of retail fireworks in the city.

The motion was brought forward during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled council meeting after it was introduced by Councillor Pete Fry back in mid-October.

#VanCityCouncil approves Unfinished Business item 2 – Extinguishing Consumer Fireworks. Now dealing with Unfinished Business item 3 – Four Pillars Drug Strategy Review and Additional Resources. Watch live: https://t.co/U42rOxhBMC

— Vancouver City Clerk (@VanCityClerk) November 6, 2019

According to Fry’s motion, the Vancouver Police Department faces escalating calls for fireworks-related issues in the five days leading up to October 31, and the average damages and cost from consumer fireworks over the last 12 years is $379,000 per year.

See also:
- Vancouver city council to vote on ban of retail fireworks tonight
- How firecrackers and fireworks became a Vancouver Halloween tradition

With the motion approved, the plan is now for staff to work with fire rescue and police to create a draft plan in 2020 to ban the retail sale of consumer-grade fireworks. The ban, however, won’t take effect until 2021.

During Tuesday’s vote on the motion Mayor Kennedy Stewart, along with councillors Melissa De Genova and Michael Wiebe voted against the motion, while the rest of council voted in favour it.

The ban will not apply to larger-scale city events such as New Year’s Eve, Canada Day, the Celebration of Light, or cultural and religious occasions like Diwali.