By Jessie Weisner

Fireworks ban

Council votes to create bylaw to ban low hazard fireworks

Jul 15, 2019 | 8:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Medicine Hat City Council has approved the decision to draft a bylaw to ban the use and sale of low hazard fireworks in the city.

“If somebody were to unfortunately lose their life in a night fire, I’d have to live with that,” says Mayor Ted Clugston.

Low hazard fireworks were illegal in Medicine Hat prior to changes to the National Fire Code, requiring the city to implement a bylaw if they want to keep fireworks out of the hands of Hatters.

“Low hazard fireworks were, in the old code, not permitted. So a municipality had to actually enact a bylaw to allow the sale and discharge of low hazard fireworks,” said Brian Stauth, Medicine Hat Fire Chief. “With the new 2019 code, those restrictions have been removed so now a municipality has to enact a bylaw to restrict the sale of low hazard fireworks.”

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Enacting a bylaw to restrict the use of low hazard fireworks would allow rules to stay the same. Fireworks have been banned within city limits for years.

“If anyone thinks the council is becoming dictatorial or telling anyone what they can and can’t do, we’re just re-instating the status quo,” says Clugston.

The topic was first brought up on May 27 at a Public Services Committee meeting, when the committee supported the decision to draft a bylaw to ban them.

When it came to council on June 3, it was tabled because of strong opposition by multiple councillors.

Since then, councillors, city staff and the fire chief have met to discuss the issue, and compare rules in other municipalities.

Stauth presented low hazard fireworks rules in other City’s and towns across the province. In Calgary and Lethbridge the sale and discharge are completely prohibited, and in Grande Prairie they’re allowed on private land larger than one hectare.

He also displayed two videos of youth hurting themselves with roman candles.

Following the discussion, six of the seven councillors present voted to draft a bylaw.

“If we have a drought, or a very windy night and it lands on someones asphalt roof and starts one house on fire and jumps to the next and the next and the next, then we’ve got a serious problem,” says Clugston.”

Events within the city, such as Canada Day, will still be able to have fireworks if they obtain a permit.