What to know about setting off backyard fireworks on Canada Day in Mississauga

Mississauga residents planning to set off backyard fireworks this weekend to mark Canada Day are reminded they can only do so on Monday, July 1 unless they have a city permit that allows them to celebrate in similar fashion on other days as well.

The City of Mississauga’s fireworks bylaw, as it relates to Canada Day, allows fireworks without permits on private property only on July 1 from dusk until 11 p.m. That means fireworks without permits are not allowed on any other days/nights this weekend.

Similar allowances/rules are in effect on four other holidays throughout the year in the city — New Year’s Eve/Day, Lunar New Year, Diwali and Victoria Day.

Similar to those other holidays, more bylaw enforcement officers will be on duty this long weekend as well to help ensure compliance with the rules, according to the city.

“This allows for more patrols, improves response time for complaints and helps ensure celebrations stay safe,” Mississauga officials said in an earlier news release, adding a permit must also be obtained in order to set off fireworks on a public street or in a park.

On the Victoria Day long weekend in late May, 29 public complaints related to the use and sale of fireworks were lodged with Mississauga officials. In one case, four charges were laid against the seller of illegal fireworks, the city said.

Videos

Read More

Last year on Canada Day in Mississauga, one of the city’s main celebrations — at Westwood Square mall Malton — had to carry on without the eagerly anticipated end-of-night fireworks show after a late-afternoon spell of torrential rain rendered the massive collection of fireworks unsafe to use.

City officials remind residents of some of the regulations governing use of fireworks:

• residents are not permitted to set off fireworks in a street, public property (parks, etc.), a parking lot or any private property that is not their own
• fireworks on private property may only be set off on the statutory holiday
• fireworks are only permitted until midnight
• to use fireworks on private property any other day of the year, residents must obtain a permit from Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services
• the sale of fireworks in Mississauga requires a licence issued by City of Mississauga bylaw enforcement staff

To dispose of used or unused fireworks following Canada Day, officials urge people to completely submerge the fireworks in water and soak them overnight. Wrap the soaked fireworks in a plastic bag to keep them from drying out and dispose of them in your garbage bin.

To report fireworks being illegally set off on private property, residents can call the city’s 311 information line. To file a complaint related to fireworks use on public roadways, call Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3111.

For complaints about use of fireworks in city parks and at schools, call 905-615-4060. For all other firework enquiries, call Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services at 905-456-5700.

Visit the City of Mississauga website for more information on making complaints and fireworks use in general.