VANCOUVER - To some Vancouver residents, fireworks are harmless fun and a way to celebrate the chaos of Halloween night, the glow of Diwali, or the excitement of New Year’s Eve.

To others, fireworks set off by “amateurs” are a dangerous nuisance that traumatize pets and people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Now, city council has waded into the debate with a motion introduced by Coun. Pete Fry to ban “consumer” fireworks -- the fireworks sold in Vancouver shops every year in the week leading up to Halloween.

In his motion, Fry argued that fireworks retail sales should be halted because fireworks disturb wildlife and people’s pets, cause an average $379,000 in loss to fire every year, and can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder for survivors of gun violence, veterans and refugees.

Vancouver is one of the only Lower Mainland cities to allow retail fireworks sales, Fry wrote, and setting off fireworks releases poisonous chemicals and airborne particles into the air.

While a decision on the motion has been delayed to Nov. 5, it’s set off a fierce debate about fireworks and whether they have a place in the city.

Fireworks are an important part of Diwali, a festival of light that many people in Vancouver’s South Asian community are preparing to celebrate. If they do decide to ban fireworks sales, city council has talked about allowing an exemption for Diwali celebrations.

Avi Ratnani has fond memories of beautiful fireworks displays marking the end of family gatherings for Diwali, but he can also understand why council is considering a ban.

“Fireworks cause a lot of noise and air pollution, and in other places like China, where they have Chinese New Year, fireworks are banned in big cities,” he said.

“The small fireworks that we do, like the sparklers and the firecrackers, should not be banned ... I think it should be a requirement that you get permission to light a big fireworks show for safety reasons.”

Chris Baisley started an online petition two years ago calling for a ban after he was repeatedly woken up by fireworks in his Grandview Woodlands neighbourhood. His petition attracted 3,000 signatures, and he rallied those supporters to speak to city councillors about the issue last week.

“A few years ago things in this neighbourhood just got out of hand,” Baisley said. “For weeks on end, every night, I was getting woken up at two, three, four in the morning, then just falling asleep and getting woken up again.”

In 2016, Adrian Fleuvog’s dog, Maggie, was spooked by some fireworks at a park in East Vancouver. She ran away and was hit and killed by a SkyTrain car. That prompted the BC SPCA to issue a warning to pet owners to keep their dogs leashed during Halloween week, when people set off fireworks at unpredictable times.

Dog owner Gloria Kieler said she thinks people would support a ban if they realized the toll fireworks take on dogs and other animals. Keiler’s dog barks incessantly, runs back and forth in agitation, or cowers shaking on the floor when he hears fireworks go off.

“I just see a city full of amateurs playing with very dangerous explosives,” she said, adding she has no problem with fireworks displays that are controlled and handled by trained professionals.