34 fireworks complaints received during Canada Day celebrations in Mississauga

Nearly three dozen public complaints related to the illegal use and sale of fireworks were filed with Mississauga officials over the Canada Day long weekend.

According to the City of Mississauga, residents registered 34 fireworks use complaints with the city’s bylaw enforcement department between last Friday and Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

However, no charges were laid by Mississauga officials related to the improper use of fireworks, a city spokesperson added in an email to insauga.com.

Complaints filed with the city could include, for example, people setting off fireworks without a city permit on days other than the holiday Monday. Mississauga residents were allowed to set off fireworks on their private property without first getting a permit only on Canada Day.

City bylaw enforcement officers were deployed across Mississauga in the search for those who were either illegally selling fireworks or those improperly/illegally using fireworks.

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

Mississauga officials let it be known ahead of the Canada Day long weekend they’d have enforcement officers out in force in efforts to ensure compliance with fireworks bylaws.

They noted the beefed-up ranks also improve response time for complaints in addition to ensuring celebrations stay safe.

This past Victoria Day long weekend in late May, city officials laid four charges against a person who was believed to be selling fireworks illegally. In addition, 30 complaints were received from the public.

To dispose of used or unused fireworks, 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, the city advises.