City of Ottawa did not inform public about fireworks display for ‘public safety’ reasons

The City of Ottawa says it didn’t want to tell anyone the unused Canada Day fireworks would be launched Thursday to keep crowds away. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

The City of Ottawa says the decision not to inform the public about the late-night fireworks display on the opening night of Bluesfest at LeBreton Flats was due to “public safety implications” for large crowds gathering on nearby streets.

The unused fireworks from the rained-out Canada Day celebrations were set off just before 11 p.m. Thursday, sparking anger and confusion from councillors and nearby residents who were unaware of the planned display.

The City of Ottawa said the fireworks began at approximately 10:53 p.m. and lasted “approximately 11 to 12 minutes.” There was no notice from the City of Ottawa or Canadian Heritage about the fireworks display.

Councillor Jeff Leiper said he was “angry” the city did not inform the public about the planned fireworks display, adding it was “completely inappropriate given the impact that it had on presumably thousands of residents.”

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Emergency and Protective Services general manager Ryan Perrault said the decision not to advertise or proactively notify residents of the fireworks display was made by the City’s Special Event Advisory Team (SEAT), which includes representatives from the Ottawa Police Service and emergency services and Canadian Heritage.

“Given the significant public interest in those cancelled fireworks, there was concern that broad promotion of the July 9 display could result in large numbers of people gathering on streets adjacent to the ticketed event footprint in an attempt to view the show,” Perrault said in an email.

“This had the potential to create an ‘event surrounding an event,’ creating a safety risk and placing additional pressure on crowd management, police and City services. After considering the available options, SEAT determined that the public safety risks associated with encouraging additional attendance in the surrounding area outweighed the benefits of broader notification.”

Thousands of people were at LeBreton Flats for the opening night of Ottawa Bluesfest, the largest music festival in Ottawa. The opening night lineup included Cody Johnson, and the fireworks were set off following his show.

Bylaw Services received 38 complaints about the fireworks.

“Staff recognize that the display caused concern and disturbance for some residents, particularly given the absence of advance notice,” Perrault said.

“Public safety remains the City’s foremost consideration in decisions related to special events, and staff took the most prudent course of action under the circumstances. City staff will consider feedback received as part of the post-event debrief process to ensure any lessons learned are incorporated into future planning.”

Leiper told CTV News Ottawa on Friday morning that staff decided not to inform the public that the unused fireworks from Canada Day would be set off.

“It was deemed by Canadian Heritage that it was safer to dispose of them that way rather than dismantle and move them, so they took this step in conjunction with Bluesfest,” Leiper said.

The Canada Day fireworks at LeBreton Flats on July 1 were cancelled due to heavy rain and storms in Ottawa.

In a statement, Canadian Heritage said the fireworks had already been primed and disarming them would have posed a safety risk to the fireworks crew.

“(Canadian Heritage), in collaboration with public safety and event partners, made an arrangement with Ottawa Bluesfest for the festival to use the fireworks and host a display at the end of their opening night,” a spokesperson said.

“The decision not to advertise the fireworks display was made in consultation with security and event partners—including Event Central at the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Police Services, Ottawa Fire Services, Service de la police de la Ville de Gatineau, and Ottawa Bluesfest—following careful consideration of public safety implications, and to ensure that crowds did not exceed the safe capacity of LeBreton Flats Park and the surrounding area."

“I’m angry”

Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal, Leiper said a no-notice fireworks show was inappropriate.

“The city decided that it would not allow the show to be announced ahead of time because they didn’t want a large crowd of people gathering for which there might not be the resources in place to ensure that everyone is safe,” Leiper said, adding he woke up to a lot of comments in his inbox.

“I understand the thrust of that but requiring that there be no announcement for the show is completely inappropriate given the impact that it’s had on you know, presumably thousands of residents.”

Leiper said he is “angry” at the decision made by city staff not to inform the public.

In a post on Bluesky, Coun. Ariel Troster said councillors received no notice “they were going to let off the Canada Day fireworks at 11 p.m.”

“It seems that it was determined that it was safer to do this than try to remove the unexploded shells from Lemieux Island. But on a weeknight, so late, with no notice = unacceptable,” Troster said.

Ottawa Centre MPP Catherine McKenney said the city’s decision not to inform the public about the fireworks was “a clear sign of gross mismanagement.”

“This is what happens when the City treats downtown neighbourhoods like drive thru communities and not places where people live,“ McKenney said. ”This was beyond unacceptable.”

CTV News Ottawa has reached out to Ottawa Bluesfest for more information.

NAV Canada notified on Monday

NAV Canada said it was notified about the fireworks display at LeBreton Flats and published a notice on Monday at Transport Canada’s request.

“Under the Aeronautics Act, it restricted the airspace around the Lemieux Island launch site on the Ottawa River, from the surface up to 2,000 feet above sea level, from the morning of July 9 until shortly after midnight,” NAV Canada said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

“The restriction applied to all aircraft, including drones, with exceptions for police and medevac operations.”

NAV Canada says it is advised of a planned fireworks display if it could affect air operations, and it publishes a NOTAM to inform pilots and aircraft operators of the activity.

“Where a temporary airspace restriction is warranted, the request is made through Transport Canada,” NAV Canada said.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Leah Larocque

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