Firework fanatics in Kitchener may soon have to look elsewhere to buy their explosive pyrotechnics.
City staff are recommending a bylaw amendment that would enforce a full ban on firework sales within the city and restrict the length of fireworks displays starting January 2026.
Kitchener mayor Berry Vrbanovic told CTV News the amendment came from concerns raised by residents over the last few years.
A new report from bylaw enforcement found the city received 314 firework-related complaints in 2024, a 68.8 per cent increase compared to 2023. The report also surveyed more than 1,000 Kitchener residents on the matter and found the majority of respondents supported stricter regulations.
Currently, firework sales are restricted to 18 days a year on or around Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali.
Based on the report’s findings, the community and infrastructure services committee will consider three options:
1) Status quo: no changes would be made to the current bylaw or restrictions;
2) Bylaw amendment: setting time limits on firework displays and banning sales;
3) Full ban: prohibiting both the sale and setting-off of consumer fireworks.
The report recommends the second option and proposes a two-hour window for holiday firework shows. On Victoria Day and Canada Day, fireworks would only be allowed to be set off between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. For Diwali, which takes place in the fall, sparks would fly between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
“I think what staff have tried to do is find a middle ground that still allows fireworks to go forward on certain days,” Vrbanovic said.
“There’s not doubt that this is going to be a hotly debated issue amongst council and the community.”
Explosive reactions
Local retailers and pyrotechnicians are opposed to the ban on sales, saying it won’t work.
“They may make them at home, they may buy them through an underground illegal black market,” said Aleem Kanji, Chief Advocacy Officer of the Canadian National Fireworks Association.
“Residents will have the option to purchase online or in other neighbouring communities,” Kanji added. “And unless there is a plan to create a border security service around Kitchener, it’s going to be very hard to control.”
The restrictions already in place have caused some local businesses to go from boom to doom.
“It’s devastating,” said Alex Zevros, founder of Bam Bam Fireworks. “It killed my small business … These bylaws are what led us to close, without a doubt.”
The proposed amendment will be discussed and voted on by the city’s Community and Infrastructure Services committee on Monday. The decision will be ratified by city council on May 5.
Kitchener currently has the strictest regulations when it comes to fireworks and sales. However, the City of Waterloo and the City of Cambridge told CTV News they are looking to update their bylaws soon.
“We have been working with our municipal partners to put similar rules in place and will be bringing a report with our recommendations to our council on May 5,” a spokesperson for the City of Waterloo said in an email.
