Firework dos and don’ts on Canada Day

The long weekend is almost here! Canada Day is one of only two days each year you can light fireworks in Vaughan without a permit. But do you know how to handle them safely? If you plan to use fireworks on Monday, July 1, there are some important safety steps to follow before, during and after you set them off.

Follow these safety guidelines from Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service:

DO

• Read and follow firework label directions.
• Buy your fireworks from a licensed vendor – only use legal fireworks.
• Always have an adult supervise firework activities.
• Operate fireworks outdoors and in an open area at least 30 metres by 30 metres. Make sure the area is clear of all obstructions, such as overhead wires and trees.
• Keep the audience (particularly children and pets) a safe distance away from the shooting site, preferably upwind.
• Keep water nearby (garden hose and bucket).
• Wear eye protection and non-flammable clothing when operating fireworks.
• Ignite the fireworks from a bucket of sand.

DO NOT

• Reignite a firework that did not go off properly the first time. Place non-operating fireworks in a bucket of water.
• Experiment or make your own fireworks.
• Give fireworks or sparklers to anyone under 18 years old.

Fireworks cannot be set off after 11 p.m. on Victoria Day and Canada Day. You can only light them on your property. It is illegal to set off fireworks in a park, roadway, sidewalk or any other public property. Fireworks must not be set off from any window, doorway, balcony, terrace or deck in a multi-residential property, or from any common area of the property. Any person violating the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics By-law 089-2022 (PDF) may be fined $200 for each offence. If a minor is caught violating the by-law, the parents or guardian may be fined for the offence. Fireworks must not be set off where the discharge, smoke or fallout can land on another person or their property or where it creates a threat of injury or fire.

To report firework misuse, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281. To learn more about fireworks safety, visit vaughan.ca/fireworks. 

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