Copyright peacearchnews
Surrey’s ban on the sale and use of fireworks is about as effective as a paper raincoat. Anyone who has been kept awake by fireworks in the early hours knows the current bylaw is not working. When people are openly posting videos of themselves setting them off in Surrey, it is clear there is little concern about consequences. You do not see people proudly sharing clips of themselves breaking other city rules, like dumping a mattress in a park. The truth is, people light fireworks here because they know nothing will happen to them. The bylaw might look good on paper, but in practice it is barely more than a suggestion. As Surrey keeps growing, the noise, the smoke, and the two in the morning explosions will only get worse. Pretending the problem does not exist is not helping anyone. Given the injuries, property damage, and fires fireworks cause each year, I would support a licensing system similar to what exists in Australia, where only licensed pyrotechnicians can buy and use consumer fireworks. It makes sense. If you want to set off explosives, you should at least have the training to do it safely. But since it is unlikely the provincial government will adopt that approach anytime soon, Surrey needs to find its own way forward. Tougher enforcement and heavier penalties are the obvious answers, but they would be expensive and unpopular. With so many people already setting off fireworks every year, a crackdown with hundreds of fines would almost certainly create backlash, much like when the city tried to address illegal suites. The problem has been ignored for so long that too many residents now treat the bylaw like background noise. Enforcing it suddenly and strictly would catch a lot of people off guard. So maybe it is time to try something different. Surrey could create designated spaces where fireworks can be purchased and used safely under supervision. School Parent Advisory Committees could host community fireworks nights with Surrey Fire Services on site to oversee the event. The funds raised could be shared between the PACs and the fire service, giving families a safe and community focused way to celebrate. It would give responsible users a proper place to go and free up bylaw officers to deal with the people who insist on being bad neighbours. No solution will please everyone, but what we are doing now clearly is not working. The city needs to bring both sides together, those who want to celebrate and those who have had enough of the chaos, and find a solution that actually makes sense. If Surrey keeps ignoring the problem, the nights will keep getting louder, the fires and injuries more frequent, and the frustration harder to contain.
