GTA fireworks restrictions impact Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas celebrations

It seems that the biggest holiday of the year will be slightly different for the South Asian communities of Brampton and Mississauga, as the municipalities have tightened their regulations regarding fireworks. Thousands of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs gather in temples, gurdwaras, and homes for worship and celebration - gatherings that are traditionally filled with light. While individuals in Mississauga can still use fireworks on their private property, those who wish to celebrate with fireworks in Brampton must do so only at a city-sanctioned event, as the city council decided to ban fireworks last year.

According to Yudhishthir Danraj, the spiritual leader of the Triony Temple in Brampton, this ban was not the right choice. He says, "We believe the ban on fireworks is somewhat unjust because we like to use fireworks as part of our celebrations."

Danraj explains that Hindus celebrate the festival of Diwali as a victory of light over darkness, and decorating their homes with light is very important. The city of Brampton holds a Diwali Mela event from 4 pm to 10 pm on Monday, which includes performances and a "spectacular 15-minute fireworks display" at Chinguacousy Park. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said in a press release, "I am eagerly looking forward to celebrating together as a community."

Danraj says that organizing such an event by the city is "good." He hopes it will be a good event, but it will be a different experience. He says, "I know people will be a little upset this year that they can't do it in their own homes or in front of their homes and their community." He added that he hopes the laws will be reviewed in the future. The ban on fireworks was implemented following hundreds of complaints to the city of Brampton in the past year, especially during the Diwali period. There were concerns that fireworks were being set off late at night or too close to homes. Gurthap Singh Tour, a member of the city council who seconded the ban proposal, said during the November 2022 council meeting that the city council "clearly heard the noise and complaints" about this issue. While the council approved the use of sparklers, the unauthorized use of fireworks is now subject to a $1,000 fine.

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