Victoria Day Sparks Fireworks Ban Debate

Kitchener and Waterloo spent the first Victoria Day weekend under new fireworks sales bans, while Cambridge kept its existing rules that still allow sales and private use on certain holidays. The split has left Waterloo Region residents facing different rules depending on which side of a municipal boundary they live on. City documents and local reporting show the three cities moved in the same policy debate after a rise in complaints and several high-profile incidents in 2024. The result, at least for now, is a patchwork system: two cities have cut off retail sales, and one has not. ### Why were Kitchener and Waterloo under new rules this Victoria Day? May 18, 2026 was the first Victoria Day in which Kitchener and Waterloo were operating after bylaw changes approved in 2025. Kitchener council approved amendments on May 5, 2025 to ban the sale of fireworks in the city, with the sales ban taking effect in 2026 after a transition period for vendors, the city said. (ctvnews.ca) Waterloo’s current fireworks page says residents can set off fireworks only on listed holidays and that, starting in January 2026, they cannot buy or sell fireworks in the city. For Victoria Day 2026, Waterloo limited use to private property between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on May 18. Kitchener issued a similar reminder on May 14, 2026. The city said Victoria Day fireworks could be set off only on privately owned property on May 18 between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., and that sales had already been banned under the updated bylaw framework. (engagewr.ca) ### What still makes Cambridge different? Cambridge’s current fireworks page says the city allows both the sale and setting off of fireworks for Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali. (waterloo.ca) Private fireworks displays are permitted between dusk and 11 p.m. on those holidays, and sales must comply with the city’s fireworks bylaw and business licensing bylaw. Cambridge’s online permit and licensing system also lists “Fireworks Sales and Exhibitions” among city processes, underscoring that a legal sales framework remains in place there. (kitchener.ca) That means residents in Kitchener and Waterloo can still cross into Cambridge to buy fireworks from licensed sellers. ### What pushed the cities toward tougher bylaws? Kitchener recorded 314 fireworks-related complaints in 2024, up from 186 in 2023 and 170 in 2022, CBC reported, citing city figures. (cambridge.ca) Waterloo responded to 104 fireworks-related calls in 2024, up from 66 a year earlier. CityNews Kitchener reported that the regional review followed dangerous incidents during 2024 celebrations, including fireworks being shot into a crowd at Victoria Park in Kitchener on Victoria Day and Waterloo councillor Julie Wright being struck in the face by a firework after a Canada Day event. (permits.cambridge.ca) Waterloo staff proposed raising first-offence fines to $1,000 and second-offence fines to $2,000. Waterloo’s current bylaw page now lists those fine levels. (cbc.ca) Kitchener’s public engagement page said concerns raised in consultations included safety, misuse, noise, environmental impacts and enforcement challenges. The city said its review drew input from 18 municipalities and nearly 1,900 survey responses. ### Who is arguing against a blanket regional ban? Berry Vrbanovic, Kitchener’s mayor, said during the May 2025 debate that he was not convinced banning local sales would stop bad behaviour, according to CBC. (kitchener.citynews.ca) He called the measure “government overreach” and said the city should focus on those misusing fireworks. Aleem Kanji, chief advocacy officer for the Canadian National Fireworks Association, told CambridgeToday in May 2025 that Cambridge should not make decisions “solely on regional pressure.” Kanji said bans could push buyers toward illegal markets and argued that safety education often happens at the point of sale. (engagewr.ca) ### What happens next in Cambridge? (cbc.ca) June 2025 reporting from CambridgeToday said a staff report heading to Cambridge council recommended restricting fireworks sales on the same 2026 timeline used by Kitchener and Waterloo, reducing permitted hours and increasing fines from $250 to $1,000 per violation. The report also said a regional working group had been formed in early 2024 to create more standard rules across Waterloo Region municipalities. (cambridgetoday.ca) Cambridge’s current public web pages still show sales and use are allowed on Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali under the existing bylaw. Any further change would need council action to amend those rules. (cambridge.ca) (cambridgetoday.ca)