More than 1,000 Mimico area residents have signed a petition calling on City Council to crack down on the use of fireworks which they say affects their quality of life, causes injury, stress, pollution, pet and wildlife safety,

A group called the Etobicoke Fireworks Remediation Committee (EFRC) started the petition last September which was sent to Mayor John Tory, Councillor Mark Grimes, whom they met with, and others. There are two online petitions calling for the enforcement of fireworks by laws.

A motion by Grimes directs the Municipal Licensing and Standards and the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, in consultation with relevant City divisions, to report to the General Government and Licensing Committee on the outcome of a review of Chapter 466, which governs the use of fireworks.

The City will be looking at increased education, enhanced environmental protections and other regulations on the sales and discharge of fireworks.

Also sought are restrictions on fireworks sales both in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, in advance of the 2021 warm weather seasons.

Fireworks vendors are required to obtain a fireworks vendor’s permit, issued by Municipal Licensing and Standards, according to the City.

“Family fireworks are regulated through permits, conditions, and inspections and are enforced by Toronto Fire Services,” according to the agenda.

It states that without a permit, discharge of fireworks is only permitted on “designated holidays” such as Victoria and Canada day.

“We are receiving more reports of people purchasing and discharging fireworks throughout the year,” according to the document. “This is problematic in waterfront parks with their abundance of wildlife, aquatic habitats, and in some areas with a dense residential population.”

The EFRC petition states that Toronto public spaces have become ‘a free-for-all for year-round fireworks.’

They note parks like Humber Bay Shores and Ashbridges Bay have suffered from individuals with disregard for the needs of wildlife or neighbourhood peace shooting fireworks almost nightly as late at 3 or 4 am.

“The disruption to a peaceful environment, loss of sleep and overall harm to quality of life for residents speaks for itself,” the group wrote. “Geese, ducks, swans and grebes all consume fireworks debris left over in the water. Shoreline birds may experience panic during nesting.”

The EFRC warn the noise can lead nocturnal birds to become disoriented and fly into windows of nearby condos and chronic exposure from fireworks increases the risk to animal health.

“Species like the nocturnal Eastern Whip-poor-will are now designated as threatened, urbanization contributing to their diminishing numbers,” they warned. “We certainly don’t need to exacerbate the environmental threat to wildlife so carelessly.”