Canada Day brought more than just lights to the sky in Mississauga—bylaw officers were also kept busy responding to a surge in fireworks-related complaints.
According to the City of Mississauga, 63 complaints were filed by residents reporting illegal use of fireworks over the holiday period, nearly doubling the number from last year’s Canada Day, which saw 34 complaints. The increase also surpassed the 52 complaints reported during the Victoria Day weekend in May.
Between June 20 and July 1, city bylaw officers carried out 221 proactive inspections of fireworks vendors. Two vendors were charged with selling fireworks without the required permits. For comparison, six charges were laid during the Victoria Day weekend.
City officials say they rolled out a strong public education campaign ahead of the holiday to encourage safe and legal fireworks use. This included distributing information through vendors about safety protocols, permitted usage times, and the importance of following city regulations.
Despite these efforts, fireworks continued to be set off outside permitted hours and without proper authorization. Under Mississauga bylaws, fireworks can only be used on private property without a permit on specific holidays—including Canada Day, New Year’s Eve, Victoria Day, Diwali, and Lunar New Year.
Bylaw officers were strategically deployed across the city during the Canada Day festivities to monitor compliance and address violations in real time.
The City continues to remind residents that permits are required for fireworks use outside of approved dates and that violations could result in fines or other enforcement actions.