13.7 C
Kawartha Lakes
Thursday, March 28, 2024
No menu items!
HomeNewsCouncil considers restricting fireworks and outdoor burning

Council considers restricting fireworks and outdoor burning

UPDATE:The motion to restrict fireworks passed at the September 15 council meeting. Dates added for allowed fireworks include Labour Day, New Years Eve, Family Day and Aboriginal Day as well as those listed.

KAWARTHA LAKES-The City of Kawartha Lakes is considering restricting fireworks and outdoor burning.

In a memo discussed at Committee of the Whole today Fire Chief Mark Pankhurst asked council to consider restricting the sale and use of fireworks in the City to the days around two public holidays.

He asked staff bring forward a by-law to restrict the times of discharge of consumer fireworks to between dusk and 11 pm:

  1. Victoria Day
  2. the day immediately preceding Victoria Day
  3. the day immediately following Victoria Day
  4. Canada Day
  5. the day immediately preceding Canada Day or
  6. the day immediately following Canada Day.

That the bylaw would include the following regarding the sale of fireworks:

  1. No person shall sell any firecrackers
  2. No person shall sell any prohibited fireworks
  3. No person shall sell consumer fireworks except on the following days:
    3.1 Victoria Day and Canada Day and
    3.2 each of the seven business days immediately preceding Victoria Day and Canada Day

Pankhurst said he is receiving more and more complaints.

“Every year I receive more and more complaints into my office. It’s the general feeling people would like to see more control over it.” Pankhurst said.

Some councillors expressed concern about the restrictions around when fireworks could be sold. Councillor Ron Ashmore was concerned about how staff would police the sale of fireworks. Councillor Tracy Richardson agreed with restricting the date and times fireworks could be discharged but did not like restrictions on the dates when fireworks could be sold.

The bylaw would include the option for a permit for special occasions.

A motion was put forward to remove the portion of the proposed bylaw talking about the sale of fireworks but leave the restricted dates in. The motion passed and it will now go back to staff to draft a bylaw and present it at the next regular council meeting.

Pankhurst also asked staff to bring forward a by-law to prohibit open air burning in Lindsay. No open air burning would be permitted in the built up geographical area of Lindsay. Gas fired outdoor appliances would be permitted.

Councillor Dunn was opposed to the motion. He said. “Today we are taking about backyard chickens and we are trying to tell people they can have chickens but not a campfire.”

That part of the memo was also removed from the proposed bylaw.

&nbspphoto credit: G.A.I.N Streaks of light via photopin (license)

Don't forget to sign up for our morning newsletter.

Catch up on all the local news while enjoying your coffee.

Pamela Vanmeer
Pamela Vanmeerhttps://www.kawartha411.ca/
Pamela VanMeer is a two time winner of the prestigious Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Award. Her investigative reports on abuse in Long Term Care Homes garnered international attention for the issue and won the Ron Laidlaw Award. She is a former reporter and anchor at CHEX News, now Global Peterborough and helped launch the New CHEX Daily, a daily half hour talk show. While at CHCH News in Hamilton she covered some of the biggest news stories of the day.

Most Popular

Kawartha 411