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Locals have had much to say about the permanently cancelled Canada Day fireworks in Vancouver since the news broke yesterday.
It wasn’t only Vancouver residents who were dismayed by the news, as Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim also chimed in on the development.
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Sim tweeted that the City would contact the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority about bringing the event back “in the coming years.” For decades, the Port of Vancouver has put on Vancouver’s main public Canada Day festivities in and around Canada Place, including the staging of the fireworks finale.
Fireworks have long been a part of Canada Day in Vancouver and we’re incredibly disappointed to see them cancelled this year.
We will be reaching out to the Port Authority to discuss this further and hope to see a return of Canada Day fireworks in the coming years.#vanpoli https://t.co/s3EPt1Dlqx
— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) May 25, 2023
In the aftermath of the news, many have been bringing back the “no fun city” moniker for Vancouver when sharing their disappointment. Some are also coming at Sim for not taking immediate action.
We asked the mayor’s office if there was any chance the decision could be turned around, but it said it wouldn’t be able to provide an answer until it had a chat with the port authority.
The mayor’s office also said that “Vancouverites deserve to be able to fully enjoy Canada Day without feeling a need to go elsewhere.”
In response to the “no fun city” comments, the mayor’s office said that there are a lot of opportunities ahead to change the narrative, like the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
“That’s the saddest news!” someone said in response to a Daily Hive tweet about the cancellation.
This is not how you get your ‘swagger’ back Vancouver. Surrey is still planning fireworks on July 1st AND they’ll have two police forces there to serve and protect! 🤣 https://t.co/MFiOwGf9gc pic.twitter.com/Ex80lYwelF
— Jas Johal (@JasJohalBC) May 25, 2023
“No fun city. Vancouver is pathetic,” said another commenter.
Not quite sure why this can’t be organized when we do a much bigger Festival of Lights multi day fireworks competition also in the summer. What’s the big hold up?
— Erik The Viking ✊🏼🪑 (@Electric_Erik) May 24, 2023
Some responses are supportive of the cancellation.
“I’m sure the whales will appreciate that,” said one person.
One Twitter user said, “So many people rely on 20 mins of fireworks for their fun.”
Others pointed out the environmental impacts of fireworks on wildlife and pets.
“But we must have our exploding lights. Otherwise we can’t have fun.”
In response to Sim’s tweet, one user said, “If you really intend to address it with the port – do it now! you have over a month to figure it out.”
Another user pointed out that Toronto had overturned the decision for “THIS year. Why do you need a year?”
Some reactions have been getting spicy.
“Fireworks are legal as long as it’s under 2.5 grams and intended for personal use.”
Meanwhile, over in Alberta, the City of Edmonton has revealed that it has no plans to do away with its Canada Day fireworks display.
Amid high inflation and the slow restart of the events and production industry’s capacity, events and festivals have faced soaring costs, including high municipal and policing costs, forcing the port authority to downsize or outright cancel. Many major events have only been kept afloat with the help of government grants.
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With files from Kenneth Chan