Could Mississauga’s fireworks rules get a glow-up? The city’s giving its beefy 2023 bylaw a fresh look, sparked by Mayor Carolyn Parrish and council’s November nudge to see if the regulations—packing fines up to $100,000—need tweaking. From the dazzling Canada Day show downtown to backyard blasts, everything’s on the table, and officials want residents and businesses to weigh in via an online survey.
“We’re digging into how people feel about fireworks here,” the city said this week. “Your input will shape any tweaks to the bylaw and related rules.” Right now, you can light up your backyard (no permit needed) from dusk to 11 p.m. on Lunar New Year, Victoria Day, Canada Day, and Diwali, or until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Public spots like parks or streets? That’s a no-go without city approval.
The tougher regs rolled out in October 2023, thanks to Ward 8 Councillor and Deputy Mayor Matt Mahoney, who’d had it with rogue sparkler chaos. Fines jumped from a max of $5,000 to a wallet-busting $100,000—sometimes even $200,000 for the worst offenders—starting December 1, 2023. “This targets the illegal fireworks we’ve wrestled with for years,” Mahoney said back then. “That $100,000 fine screams we’re done messing around.”
City staff are on a mission, with a final report due to council in May. They’re sizing up:
- How well the 2023 rules worked for the five approved holidays
- Complaint tallies to 311, Peel Police, and councillors—plus investigation follow-ups and ward gossip
- Peel Police prep and costs for “hot spots,” including overtime and logistics
- Bylaw officers’ tab for keeping an eye on public antics
- Canada Day fireworks’ price tag in the City Centre
- Lessons from Brampton and Caledon, where personal fireworks are nearly extinct since 2022
Mississauga’s not just navel-gazing—they’re benchmarking neighbors and crunching numbers to see if the rules strike the right balance between celebration and sanity. Got thoughts? The survey’s your megaphone.