Mont-Tremblant bans fireworks for environmental reasons
The new municipal council by-law of the Ville de Mont-Tremblant should come into force around mid-April. (File photo)
A draft by-law prohibiting fireworks on all occasions was accepted by the City of Mont-Tremblant's municipal council this week “in our concern to prioritize the environment first and foremost”, according to the deputy mayor. Dominique Laverdure. It should come into force around mid-April.
The City of Mont-Tremblant had already established restrictions surrounding fireworks. People wishing to use them had to obtain a permit from the municipal fire department 30 days before the event. The permit application itself had to include, among other things, proof of insurance, the pyrotechnician's certificate and the detailed list of the pyrotechnics used.
The City has however decided to go further and completely ban fireworks on its territory. We invite people to be creative and find other ways to celebrate, explains the mayor.
Ms. Laverdure admits that there are few studies on the environmental consequences of fireworks, but that the existing literature confirms impacts on fauna and flora.
“It's not that hard to understand: when you detonate chemicals, debris falls back into the environment and can have impacts. »
— Dominique Laverdure, Acting Mayor of Mont-Tremblant
And since fireworks are often thrown over a body of water to reduce the risk of fire, these chemicals, such as perchlorate, are often found in lakes in the territory of the Ville de Mont -Tremblant, explains Vincent Causse, director of the municipality's environment and sustainable development department.
If they end up in water, the products degrade less quickly. So it contaminates the fish, the fauna, the flora found in our lakes. The objective was to reduce the pollution that is observed in a fairly large way after the launch of fireworks.
The environmental impacts of fireworks can also affect human health, underlines André Belisle, president of the Quebec Association for the fight against atmospheric pollution.
“Particle and sulfur emissions can be very disturbing, especially for children, the elderly or those with lung or heart problems […] People's health must come first. »
— André Belisle, President of the Quebec Association for the Fight Against Air Pollution
However, it is necessary to qualify, he underlines. Fireworks, when deployed occasionally and in the right conditions (good wind and low humidity, for example), do not necessarily represent a danger. There are places where, unfortunately, for all sorts of reasons, pollution will tend to accumulate. I know that, in the village of Mont-Tremblant, the tourist village, this has often been the case.
When you put people's health first, yes, there is choices to be made that can be disturbing, but it's a lot more disturbing to end up in the hospital or the cemetery.
Mayor Dominique Laverdure is hopeful that the project settlement is well received by the population and that the sacrifice is worth the effort. It's beautiful, it's fun, it's festive, but nowadays there are so many other ways to create a wow and occasions to entertainment than sending debris and chemicals into nature.
I think the people of Mont-Tremblant are all united to preserve the environment and the beauty of our territory .
