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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.