Quispamsis Holds The Line On Consumer Fireworks

Quispamsis will not make any changes to its bylaws surrounding consumer fireworks — at least not right now.

The conversation appeared to fizzle out at Tuesday night’s council meeting after a number of discussions in recent weeks.

An incident in the town over Christmas prompted the initial discussion at the council’s Jan. 18 meeting.

Victoria and Kris McGuire said a rocket-type firework from a neighbour’s display struck their home, leaving burn marks on their dining room window and the siding.

Council passed a motion asking staff to look at what other communities do in terms of regulating fireworks.

Two weeks later, on Feb. 1, staff returned to council with three suggested options:

• Limit consumer fireworks to Friday and Saturday evenings from May through September, along with New Year’s Eve, Canada Day, and New Brunswick Day, and implement higher fines for violations.
• Impose an outright ban on the sale and use of consumer fireworks effective July 2.
• Maintain the status quo.

Currently, Quispamsis residents are able to shoot off fireworks year-round between dusk and 11 p.m. every night.

Coun. Kirk Miller put forward a modified motion to allow fireworks on five holidays — Victoria Day, Canada Day, New Brunswick Day, Labour Day and New Year’s Eve — and to allow residents to apply for permits for special occasions.

However, that motion was defeated by a 4-3 vote, with councillors Noah Donovan, Kerrie Luck, Mike Biggar, and Deputy Mayor Mary Schryer voting against it.

On Tuesday night, Coun. Kerrie Luck made a motion requesting a working group made up of councillors, community members, bylaw enforcement and police to study the issue further.

“I think this topic deserves the due diligence for a committee of people to look at it to make sure that we have a bylaw that’s going to work for the majority of our residents,” said Luck.

But her motion was defeated 5-2 and no other motions were put on the floor.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s vote, Miller said there is no need for a working group to hash out the issue.

“If somebody sees what they want different, they just come back with a different motion. We’ve all done the research, we know what goes on in different places, we’ve got information from different people,” he said.

Meanwhile, the neighbouring community of Rothesay also has no plans to change the town’s bylaws governing firework for the time being.

On Monday, councillors rejected a recommendation asking staff to consider updating its nuisance and fire prevention bylaws “to improve clarity and strength and enforceability.”