Orillia city councillors Jay Fallis and Janet-Lynne Durnford hope to make events featuring fireworks easier for community groups to hold in Couchiching Beach Park.
The two politicians gained council’s support on an inquiry motion at this week's meeting, directing staff to report back on the feasibility of amending user fees for park rentals and security deposits with regard to events featuring fireworks.
“This is meant to make it easier for user groups to host events with fireworks at Couchiching Beach Park, and … we're (asking) staff to look at the possibility of creating a fee and a security deposit that's reduced for a portion of the park,” said Fallis.
“It won't necessarily make it a snap of the fingers to do this, but it will make it easier for smaller groups or cultural groups to bring an event forward.”
Earlier this year, council passed a comprehensive fireworks bylaw that totally bans their use within the city, barring council-approved special events, in a move that significantly departed from city staff’s recommendation to permit residential fireworks on several holidays throughout the year.
At the time, Durnford expressed interest in adding additional levels of permits to Couchiching Beach Park rentals for those who wish to set off fireworks, mentioning current permits require the rental of the entire park, a company to set off the fireworks, and a $2,000 fee.
On Tuesday, Fallis and Durnford won their peers’ support to have city staff look into the idea.
“I'm glad to be bringing this forward, as I think it meets a need for some groups,” Fallis said. “On the fireworks front, this will help to accommodate for different types of celebrations, while at the same time it's a fair compromise that the city will be able to implement with few complications.”
Rather than request a direct report back on the issue, the inquiry will be addressed in the upcoming Parks, Recreation, and Culture Master Plan.
