Quispamsis to amend noise bylaw after fireworks complaints

For fireworks fanatics, the fun and games may soon fizzle.

At Tuesday night's council meeting, Quispamsis politicians will review the rules of fireworks use after receiving a handful of noise complaints from residents and will likely implement an 11 p.m. noise curfew, said the mayor.

According to public documents, the town received five noise-related complaints about fireworks over the past two years, and Kennebecasis Police received 13 noise complaints from Quispamsis residents in 2014.

In an email complaint to the town, resident Paul Brandon wrote that he supports a ban on fireworks.

"I also have small children trying to sleep who are also affected by noise," wrote Brandon.

"This is unacceptable and I am not alone in this fight for peace and quiet in our rural neighbourhood."

Most of the email complaints made public supported a fireworks ban, such as ones in Saint John and Rothesay.

"Doing these light shows in residential neighbourhoods can be very unsettling to pets as well as their owners," wrote Brian Perry, another Quispamsis resident.

"It also presents a fire hazard during hot dry weather."

Possible amendments

In the current noise bylaw, fireworks and explosives not used in construction are exempt, as long as they are authorized by the town. 

But Kennebecasis Valley Fire Chief Bill Ireland said there's no requirement in Quispamsis for the fire department to approve a consumer fireworks display — only the larger commercial displays.

Mayor Murray Driscoll said the current bylaw creates too much of a "free-for-all" but despite suggestions from angry residents, an outright ban is not likely at this point.

Driscoll said the town is planning on implementing a curfew, likely at 11 p.m.

"We have, in the town now, a bylaw that says you can have fireworks whenever you please," said Driscoll. 

"If we were to put a bylaw through that says you cannot have fireworks at any time, you know it'll still happen. But we still feel it's important to have some sort of guidelines on that and curb it."

However, Driscoll said the town will ban fireworks whenever an open-fire ban in the area is in place. 

If we were to put a bylaw through that says you cannot have fireworks at any time, you know it'll still happen.- Quispamsis mayor Murray Driscoll

"The two will go hand in hand," he said.

"When it's dangerous to have beach fires or whatever, it'll also be dangerous to have fireworks as well."

Ireland said consumer fireworks are more of a nuisance issue, and not so much a public safety issue.

"There's no strong correlation between consumer fireworks and fire hazards," said Ireland. 

"There's no evidence there suggesting these devices cause fires or have been a source of ignition to any sort of consequence in the past."

Driscoll said he expects these amendments to be approved on Tuesday.

If they don't produce satisfactory results, he warned that council is willing to tighten the noise bylaw again in the future.

Bad break for businesses

While most complaints suggest a ban on fireworks, Kevin Kane, a Rothesay resident and businessman, said "it would certainly have a negative effect" on his company.

Kane is a franchise owner of Great Canadian Dollar, which has an outlet in Quispamsis.

He said a consumer fireworks ban would take a hit on small retailers who sell fireworks, making it harder to compete with bigger retailers who are "gaining more and more of the marketplace."

"[A fireworks ban] would have a serious impact because we sell a lot — a lot — of fireworks during the summer," he said.

When asked how he feels about residents' noise complaints, Kane said he was empathetic.

"I can appreciate it [the noise complaints]," he said. 

"I wouldn't want fireworks going off in my neighbour's yard all night."

"I'm all for safety, and I'm all for peace and quiet in neighbourhoods, but our sales keep taking a hit, and it gets harder and harder to operate as a small retailer."

The Quispamsis council will meet tonight at 7 p.m.