Vancouver mayor 'incredibly disappointed' in port authority's decision to cancel Canada Day fireworks
For years, it ended Canada Day in Vancouver with a bang.
Prior to the pandemic, tens of thousands would gather to view the dazzling fireworks display launching into the night sky from the Burrard Inlet. In 2022, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority cancelled the fireworks, citing rising event costs.
Now, the federal agency says the fireworks will not return anytime soon.
"It was a big decision," said Gillian Behnke, communications manager with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
"The primary reason was rising costs."
Behnke says the fireworks have a pricetag upwards of $200,000.
"Things like fencing, porta-potties, everything has gone up in price and we had to make some decisions," she said.
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim isn't pleased with the decision.
"We're incredibly disappointed to see them cancelled this year," Sim told CTV News via text message.
"We will be reaching out to the port authority to discuss this further and hope to see a return of Canada Day fireworks in the coming years."
The City of Vancouver told CTV News it is not planning a fireworks display of its own for Canada Day.
Nearby cities including Surrey, Burnaby and Abbotsford are including fireworks in their Canada Day festivities.
According to a City of Surrey representative, that city's fireworks display costs approximately $66,000 in total. The city says its display is mostly funded through corporate sponsors.
In Calgary, the city originally cancelled its annual Canada Day fireworks display this year, but heavy pushback resulted in the city reversing its decision.
For festivities in Vancouver, the daytime "Canada Together" event remains a go, with various performances and activities planned. The port authority says programming was decided on in consultation with local First Nations, and details for the event will be released next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Early results from London, U.K., suggest Labour's Sadiq Khan will secure a record third term as mayor
Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party's mayor of London, appeared Saturday to be romping to victory as results from the capital pour in.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.