District of North Vancouver Coun. Jim Hanson is asking his colleagues to put the question of banning consumer fireworks to voters during next year’s municipal election.
A motion before council on Monday would direct staff to draft wording for a non-binding opinion question on the October 17, 2026 ballot, asking residents whether the retail sale, possession, and use of consumer fireworks and smoke-generating pyrotechnic devices should be prohibited in the district.
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The motion invokes section 83 of the Community Charter, which allows municipalities to formally seek community opinion on local matters. Results would not bind the council to any particular course of action but would inform future deliberations.
Council has previously weighed bylaw amendments that would prohibit consumer fireworks, with members divided on the issue. The motion notes that fireworks regulation remains a matter of community interest with varying perspectives, and argues that aligning a public opinion question with the general election would offer a clearer read on where residents stand.
For Hanson, the issue is personal. The Blueridge resident has described his neighbourhood as resembling a “war zone” on Halloween night, citing impacts on pets, wildlife and the environment, as well as on the mental health of residents living with PTSD.
Hanson has spoken about his own family’s experience, recounting how their dog, Sparky, once fled into the darkness in terror after loud explosions outside. “Whatever ‘fun’ fireworks may bring, that merriment seems to me and many others to be significantly outweighed by the harm caused,” he wrote in a 2024 editorial.
The District of North Vancouver is the only municipality on the North Shore where consumer fireworks remain legal. Residents can purchase them between October 25 and 31 and discharge them only on Halloween night, between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., with a $5 permit and on private property.
The City of North Vancouver and the District of West Vancouver have both banned consumer fireworks outright, pointing to safety concerns and changing climate conditions.
Fireworks in the District of North Vancouver are regulated under Fireworks Regulation Bylaw 7456, which sets out allowable dates, safety requirements, and permitting rules. If Hanson’s motion passes, staff would return to the council with proposed wording for the ballot question
It’s once a year. I enjoy fireworks.