Firecrackers - Change the Law

[broken_legs]

It's late bare with me here.... With August long coming up, i was really wishing i had some bricks of black cats or mighty mites to throw around and celebrate. They were also missed dearly on Canada Day.

Why are they illegal in Canada?


Canada banned firecrackers on September 27, 1972 after it came out in the media that some children had been badly burned while playing with firecrackers in their tent. It was later found out that the news story was incorrect, and that the children had actually been smoking. Not wanting to tell their parents, they said they had been playing with firecrackers. Fireworks, however are still legal to buy for anyone 18 years of age or over.

^^ Found this on Wikki, can't find any more. Does anyone else have more info?


From Gov Of Canada Research:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/injury-bles/chirpp/pdf/CHIRPP%20INJURY%20BRIEF-FIREWORKS.pdf

CHIRPP INJURIES 1998-2004
Type of firework # (%) of cases
Fireworks, not further specified 47 (49.5)
Firecracker 26 (27.4)
Sparkler 18 (19.0)
Flare gun 3 (3.2)
Roman candle 1 (1.1)
Total 95 (100.0)


50% of injuries happened... you guessed it (AT HOME). This equates to nothing more than bad parenting. Should we all be punished because 95 kids in 6 years got burnt due to mostly bad parenting?

Furthermore, shouldn't we ban SPARKLERS too??? 18 innocent babies were mamed for life by these evil sparklers! Remember birthdays at McDonalds? They had sparklers on the cake... Pure evil.

Not to mention that LOOK 26 children were still harmed by firecrackers despite the BAN. What use is this ban??? Why are we letting a group of soccer moms from 1972 run our lives in 2010???



EDITOR, THE TIMES:

Why is Abbotsford Mayor George Peary planning to revisit the city ban on fireworks?

Is it because (as reported after Halloween) there were no structure fires or serious injuries linked to fireworks this year?

Does it upset our mayor that we were spared millions of dollars in public and private vandalism all in the name of "fun" this year?

The year before the city ban, my neighbourhood endured two months of goons blasting fireworks day and night.

Is this to appease those who think the Diwali festival should have unbridled use of fireworks? Or perhaps the "Abbotsford is a no-fun city" crowd still are unhappy even after council gave them big entertainment and big-league hockey to amuse them?

Maybe the mayor just has not talked to old people and little children who cry because of the fear they feel at sudden explosions and blinding lights that intrude on their space. THE HORROR!!!

Or has he ever held on to a dog or a horse whose eyes fill with terror at the madness and chaos exploding around them?

It is my hope that we have nine leaders, not just one mayor, who will consider what the greatest good is for all when Mayor Peary brings back the possibility of destructive fireworks for the amusement of a few.

Gerda Peachey

Abbotsford

Read more: http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/news/mayor+messing+with+fireworks/2793680/story.html#ixzz0uOxZI1eH




You may also be interested to know that "safety" groups of concerned soccer moms are currently trying to BAN FIREWORKS altogether. I guess any risk of people enjoying themselves is a risk too great for them. City by-laws prohibit their use in most cities already.


I for one am tired of living in a padded wall society - I believe people can make decisions for themselves. I want my firecrackers back.

Anyone want to join my letter writing campaign to Steven Harper to re-legalize the sale of firecrackers in Canada?

[spikerS]

no. but have fun.

[Shlade]

Theres a place up in rocky mountain house that sells fireworks and a firecrackers..... I Dont know wether u wanna drive out that far but they dont even ask for ID when you buy it lol

[Thaco]

no thanks, i like my eardrums.

[gruster]

"Theres a place up in rocky mountain house that sells fireworks and a firecrackers."

Can you please tell me how to find it?

[Melinda]

Nothing like total noobs legally working with explosives in residential areas. I'll pass on crusading for this cause, sorry OP.

[Modelexis]

Although I totally agree with what the OP has said about the bad parenting and the govt intruding where it has no place...
I don't think it's worth the energy to try and lobby it out of govt. not a great use of time/energy imo.

[spike98]

Skip the pussy black cats...

Go buy some scream-a-roo's

Yes, i know they are gay. The fruity whistle screams nothing but "Hey im a pussy, not a real man"

BUT with a little work you can take a rainbow induced lame stick and turn it into something with more bang than a M-80.

Step one: Go buy scream-a-roo's. They are sold at normal firework stores. Dont forget to hide your identity so the 18.1 year old wont think your a homo.

Step two: Aquire electrical tape and hammer

Step three: Remove the flamboyant whistle blowers from the package.

Step four: Wrap each one in electrical tape. Make sure you apply several layers nice and tight. Seal off the ends with the tape as well. More attention should be made in capping off the ends so the goodness doesnt fall out. (If this is not done sufficiently, it will still whisle like a gay man having bumsecks)

Step five: Smash the concoction with a hammer to losen up the insides. It will flatten slightly then roll it 1/4 turn and smash some more. Do this for a bit to ensure you break up all the powder. (This is important too! Its not going to explode, be a man and hit it!)

Now you have got some good explosive awesomeness.

These take chunks out of decks, blow mailboxes off of houses, and will put a 6" hole in mother earth.

Disclaimer: This WILL blow off your hand, wrist and forarm if not properly respected. I am not responsible for any loss of limbs, injury, damage to property, or legal trouble these will produce. Follow these steps at your own risk.

[Kloubek]

If you find some firecrackers, just don't set them off in the NE, or you'll bring a wave of cops responding to gunshots...

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Erskine Alberta (near Stettler) Walk in, little kid, probably under 10 years of age grabbing fireworks. Cashier rings them through, collects the money. All I can think: That probably shouldn't have happened unless there was a parent or something there.

[LollerBrader]

Originally posted by Shlade
Theres a place up in rocky mountain house that sells fireworks and a firecrackers..... I Dont know wether u wanna drive out that far but they dont even ask for ID when you buy it lol

Fireworks (not firecrackers) are legal in Alberta, but not in Calgary.

Yea... there's also a little roadside shop just before Scandia right near/on the Blackfoot reserve.

They've got coolers full of fireworks... it's a very neat little place.

[JRSC00LUDE]

I want firecrackers!!!!

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by Shlade
Theres a place up in rocky mountain house that sells fireworks and a firecrackers...
They won't have firecrackers...just fireworks. You can't buy firecrackers anywhere in Canada. You can go to the US and buy them off the reserves. Or unless you know of some guys on the reserves up here that have smuggled them across and selling them on the black market. I have about half a brick of lady fingers that I got from the states

[Modelexis]

I remember when I was a kid wondering why canada had no firecrackers, only fireworks.
Ended up having to settle for those little brown tablets that grow into turds when you light them on fire.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1911175/2/istockphoto_1911175_fireworks_stand_snake.jpg

[Idratherbsidewayz]

Originally posted by spike98
Skip the pussy black cats...

Go buy some scream-a-roo's

Yes, i know they are gay. The fruity whistle screams nothing but "Hey im a pussy, not a real man"

BUT with a little work you can take a rainbow induced lame stick and turn it into something with more bang than a M-80.

Step one: Go buy scream-a-roo's. They are sold at normal firework stores. Dont forget to hide your identity so the 18.1 year old wont think your a homo.

Step two: Aquire electrical tape and hammer

Step three: Remove the flamboyant whistle blowers from the package.

Step four: Wrap each one in electrical tape. Make sure you apply several layers nice and tight. Seal off the ends with the tape as well. More attention should be made in capping off the ends so the goodness doesnt fall out. (If this is not done sufficiently, it will still whisle like a gay man having bumsecks)

Step five: Smash the concoction with a hammer to losen up the insides. It will flatten slightly then roll it 1/4 turn and smash some more. Do this for a bit to ensure you break up all the powder. (This is important too! Its not going to explode, be a man and hit it!)

Now you have got some good explosive awesomeness.

These take chunks out of decks, blow mailboxes off of houses, and will put a 6" hole in mother earth.

Disclaimer: This WILL blow off your hand, wrist and forarm if not properly respected. I am not responsible for any loss of limbs, injury, damage to property, or legal trouble these will produce. Follow these steps at your own risk.

Wicked writeup! Informative, AND full of LOLz...

[broken_legs]

Originally posted by Melinda
Nothing like total noobs legally working with explosives in residential areas. I'll pass on crusading for this cause, sorry OP.

I believe selling firecrackers should be legal - yet regulated. IE Sold to adults just like fireworks.

Local municipalities already regulate the use of fireworks. Is there a problem with fireworks where you live Melinda?

Nowhere am I advocating that children be allowed to use firecrackers in 'residential areas' - However this is sure to be an argument that the anti-fun brigade will use.



Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
I want firecrackers!!!!

Join me brother.


Originally posted by Modelexis
Although I totally agree with what the OP has said about the bad parenting and the govt intruding where it has no place...
I don't think it's worth the energy to try and lobby it out of govt. not a great use of time/energy imo.


In the time it took you to complain about the effort required you could have forwarded an email to your MP.

Democracy isn't easy. Don't let loud mouth special interest groups steal it from you.

http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Rob Anders - Calgary West
Hill Office

House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-3066
Fax: (613) 992-3256
EMail: [email protected]
Web Site:* www.robanders.com/
Preferred Language: English

Dianne Ablonczy - Calgary
Hill Office

House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-2756
Fax: (613) 992-2537
EMail: [email protected]
Web Site:* www.dianeablonczy.com
Preferred Language: English

Steven Harper - Calgary Southwest

House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-4211
Fax: (613) 941-6900
EMail: [email protected]
Web Site:* www.pm.gc.ca/
Preferred Language: English

[broken_legs]

Mr. Prime Minister,

I am writing to you today in hopes of earning back some of the freedoms we used to enjoy in this country until 1972.

Specifically I am speaking about the Canada wide ban on selling *Firecrackers*.

I believe that Canadians are responsible enough to manage their own lives. We are tired of living in a padded wall society where the careless irresponsibility of one can affect the entire nation.

"Canada banned firecrackers on September 27, 1972 after it came out in the media that some children had been badly burned while playing with firecrackers in their tent. It was later found out that the news story was incorrect, and that the children had actually been smoking. Not wanting to tell their parents, they said they had been playing with firecrackers."

the CHIRPP study on the GoC website shows that from 1998 to 2004 there were only 95 fireworks or firecracker related incidents. The study shows that 50% of the incidents happened at home. This amounts to nothing more than bad parenting. We can also see that 26 incidents were caused by firecrackers which are supposedly banned. We can also see that there were 18 SPARKLER incidents. Will this government continue to make us safer and ban SPARKLERS too?

Fireworks and Firecrackers are already banned for use in most* municipalities' by-laws. By legalizing their sale to responsible adults in areas that don't specifically ban them, we will be allowing peaceful law abiding Canadians to once again celebrate responsibly.

Please, Mr. Prime Minister, let's revisit this issue.

Thank you for your time.

Regards

broken
Calgary South West

[LollerBrader]

As someone who is amazed that they they turned 18 with both eyes and all fingers, I don't have any problem with the firecracker ban.

There's no good reason to have them. Accessibility will only cause harm. The determined kids will always find a way to get them.

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by LollerBrader
Accessibility will only cause harm. The determined kids will always find a way to get them.

This logic suggests that you also support the ban of fireworks.
If you use the logic you just posted, kids that want to get roman candles and fire them into their mouths if determined will find a way to get them even though the age is 18, they are accessible.

@broken legs, the other reason I don't lobby is because I find it humiliating to beg to have the walls of padded room moved back a few inches.

You recognize the existence of the metaphorical room but we each have different goals. You want to make your room more comfortable, and I want no room at all. Neither of us have an easy task ahead of us.

[LollerBrader]

Originally posted by Modelexis


This logic suggests that you also support the ban of fireworks.

You have a strange concept of the nature of logic.

That being said, I wouldn't cry if they got banned.


In University (In a place where FW were legal), we used to launch barrages of roman candles from our dorm balcony into the parking lot... often using cigarettes as timers.

Lots of fun... Possibly lots of property damage as well. Lucky no one got hurt. We wouldn't have been doing this if we didn't have such easy access.

[Modelexis]

I don't want to falsely represent the logic I derived from your post.
I would be more than happy to go into more depth about how I arrived at the conclusions I did if you want.

[JustGo]

Can't wait for all the 'shots fired' calls we'd get if they were legal.

You'd be surprised how many people call 911 for firecrackers, because they are not familiar with real gunfire.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by LollerBrader


You have a strange concept of the nature of logic.

That being said, I wouldn't cry if they got banned.


In University (In a place where FW were legal), we used to launch barrages of roman candles from our dorm balcony into the parking lot... often using cigarettes as timers.

Lots of fun... Possibly lots of property damage as well. Lucky no one got hurt. We wouldn't have been doing this if we didn't have such easy access.

Probably wouldn't do stuff like that either if you were smarter?? :dunno: :dunno:

[legendboy]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
Erskine Alberta (near Stettler) Walk in, little kid, probably under 10 years of age grabbing fireworks. Cashier rings them through, collects the money. All I can think: That probably shouldn't have happened unless there was a parent or something there.

old macdonald resort :bigpimp:





i have firecrackers muahaha!

[freshprince1]

A good friend, who is also a cop said that firecrackers are not illegal.

I bought 12 bricks of black cats a few years ago in the States and have slowly chipped away at the stash over the years. One brick holds 20 packs of 100 Black Cats I believe.

I'm a pyro. :devil:

Oh yeah, you can buy fireworks at the gas station in Longview. Lots of small towns sell them. Longview is probably the closest to Calgary.

[LollerBrader]

Originally posted by Modelexis
I don't want to falsely represent the logic I derived from your post.
I would be more than happy to go into more depth about how I arrived at the conclusions I did if you want.

Feel free show your reasoning - It wouldn't make your ill-conceived speculations regarding my POV any less invalid.


Take it from the horses mouth: I do not "Support a ban on fireworks". My position is one of indifference.

[LollerBrader]

Originally posted by Unknown303


Probably wouldn't do stuff like that either if you were smarter?? :dunno: :dunno:

Do you believe that intelligence is an antidote to foolishness?

[broken_legs]

Originally posted by LollerBrader

In University (In a place where FW were legal), we used to launch barrages of roman candles from our dorm balcony into the parking lot... often using cigarettes as timers.

Lots of fun... Possibly lots of property damage as well. Lucky no one got hurt. We wouldn't have been doing this if we didn't have such easy access.

FW are legal everywhere. You just aren't allowed to use them or sell them in certain municipalities.

FW are legal in calgary, just can't use them in the city or sell them in the city - Do we have a fireworks problem here? Nope.

Why ban the entire country when local municipalities are already taking care of the issues important to local voters?



Originally posted by Modelexis



@broken legs, the other reason I don't lobby is because I find it humiliating to beg to have the walls of padded room moved back a few inches.

You recognize the existence of the metaphorical room but we each have different goals. You want to make your room more comfortable, and I want no room at all. Neither of us have an easy task ahead of us.

You said before beg to your slave masters... (ninja edit caught ;) )

You will always be a slave to the special interest lobbyists if you don't lobby for your own interests.

[broken_legs]

Originally posted by freshprince1
A good friend, who is also a cop said that firecrackers are not illegal.


Your cop friend is correct. HAving in your possesion and using firecrackers is not a crime (unless you are breaking a local municipal by law)

The only thing that is illegal, is the "Selling" of firecrackers.

If you can get them in Canada, you can use them.

[Modelexis]

haha, yeah, I decided the slave master approach was a bit abstract for this discussion. :)


You will always be a slave to the special interest lobbyists if you don't lobby for your own interests.
I like to think I'm setting an example by not getting involved in the lobby game. You probably think it's a pretty stupid/useless position and I can see why you would think that, but that's the approach I'm gonna go with.

[LollerBrader]

Originally posted by broken_legs
[B]

FW are legal everywhere. You just aren't allowed to use them or sell them in certain municipalities.



I should have been more specific: Legal to buy.

Just a short trip from campus, was the fireworks store. Such a selection...

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by LollerBrader
Feel free show your reasoning - It wouldn't make your ill-conceived speculations regarding my POV any less invalid.

Can you show me on the diagram where I have missed a difference between these two explosive devices?

http://www.modelexis.com/beyond/brader.jpg

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by broken_legs


Your cop friend is correct. HAving in your possesion and using firecrackers is not a crime (unless you are breaking a local municipal by law)

The only thing that is illegal, is the "Selling" of firecrackers.

If you can get them in Canada, you can use them.

Im not arguing...I would like to see something OFFICIAL that states such. Everything I find, states that firecrackers are illegal. Illegal to sell, illegal to use....whether or not "possession" is a crime..I can't find anything official to say either way. Just hearsay. Would that be like prostitution.... its not illegal "per se"...its just the actions/locations leading up to it, is illegal.