Morinville motorists can now get a side of kaboom when they stop for gas in town under a new law which allows town businesses to get permits to sell fireworks.
Morinville council approved amendments to the town’s fire services bylaw March 8 as part of their consent agenda.
Prior to March 8, Morinville did not allow anyone but certified pyrotechnicians to buy, sell, store, or launch fireworks within the town’s borders.
In January, Fire Chief Brad Boddez proposed amendments to the town’s fire bylaw to let businesses get permits to sell fireworks in town. He proposed to limit those sales to specific times of the year and to require residents to get permits to buy fireworks, but dropped these ideas in February following feedback from business owners and councillors.
The new law lets people buy low-hazard consumer fireworks in Morinville without a permit at any time of year but continues to ban their use within town limits. “Low-hazard consumer fireworks” do not include sparklers, which can be used in town legally. Anyone who wishes to launch fireworks in town needs a discharge permit, and only certified fireworks professionals can get such a permit.
The law lets business owners sell, distribute, and store low-hazard consumer fireworks (but not bigger display-type fireworks) with a permit from the town’s fire chief. Anyone who buys or sells fireworks must follow all local, provincial, and federal fireworks-related legislation, with sellers expected to have their sales permit ready for inspection on demand.
The law also beefs up fire-related fines. Unsafe fireworks storage now carries a $1,000 fine, up from $250, while selling fireworks without a permit carries a $1,000 penalty, up from $500. Selling fireworks to anyone under 18 can result in a $500 fine. Shooting fireworks during a fire ban or selling them during a provincial fire ban carries a $2,000 fine. Lighting an open-air fire during a fire ban can set you back $2,000 (up from $250), while igniting a fire pit during a fire ban can lead to a $500 penalty (up from $150).
Morinville and District Chamber of Commerce chair Shaun Thompson said he approves of these amendments, as there are many local business owners interested in selling fireworks.
“We can’t fire off fireworks in Morinville anyway,” he said, but this law should give stores another product to sell to people on their way out of town.
The new bylaw is to be reviewed by council within a year. Questions on fireworks should go to the Morinville fire department at 780-939-4162.
