Summary#

Calgary City Council passed Bylaw 33M2026 at third reading on September 22, 2026. It amends the Fire Operations and Fees Bylaw 55M2014 and the Parks and Pathways Bylaw 11M2019. City staff say the approach aims to improve safety while supporting celebrations with fireworks run by trained professionals at approved locations.

• The fine for selling or offering fireworks for sale rises from $750 to $3,000; the fine for discharging fireworks without a permit rises from $500 to $1,000.
• A new $1,000 offence applies to openly displaying a firework in a public place. City staff describe this as addressing people carrying or setting up fireworks for use there.
• Novelty devices, such as sparklers, are exempt from the bylaw. The amendments also update fireworks definitions to align with federal classifications.
• The separate fine for setting off fireworks in a City park is removed, so the report says one fine will apply across City bylaws for unauthorized use.
• The bylaw does not make consumer fireworks legal. City staff say sales are prohibited and fireworks use is limited to certified professionals at approved locations with a City permit.

What it means for you#

• People who buy, sell, or set off fireworks: The existing restrictions remain, but the listed fines increase for sellers and people who discharge fireworks without a permit. Someone openly displaying a firework in a public place can face a $1,000 fine.
• People using novelty devices: The bylaw exempts devices such as sparklers. The supplied material does not give the full wording of that exemption.
• City staff and enforcement partners: City staff report that a joint operational plan is being developed for Diwali 2026 and other peak periods. The Council motion passed the bylaw; it did not separately approve a new City-run event or a new enforcement program.
• Council vote: The bylaw passed 13 to 1. Councillor Jamieson voted against it; the supplied material gives no reason for that vote.

Money#

City staff say the measures in their report can be delivered within existing operating budgets; they provide no separate cost estimate for the bylaw changes.

• A full-day City-run fireworks event was estimated by staff to cost up to $750,000, but staff did not recommend one and Council’s bylaw decision did not approve one.
• A separate $30,000 Arts & Culture Microgrant for the Diwali Lights Festival Calgary had already been approved; it was not approved by this bylaw decision.

What is unclear#

• The supplied material does not state when Bylaw 33M2026 takes effect. No publicly available information.
• The full bylaw attachment is not included, so the exact wording of the new offence and novelty-device exemption cannot be verified here.
• The material does not explain how officers will decide whether an item is being openly displayed for use, or set out any new enforcement process or appeal route.
• City staff describe plans for education, coordination, and community-led events, but the Council motion provided here approves the bylaw readings, not those plans as separate requirements.

Case for#

• City staff report 183 fireworks-related service requests from 2023 to 2025, with 48 per cent during the Diwali period. They also report fireworks-linked grass and structure fires during Diwali 2025.
• Staff say the earlier fines were relatively low compared with other restrictive cities and may not deter illegal sales or use. Higher fines and an offence before fireworks are set off could give enforcement officers more ways to act.
• People who took part in engagement supported clear, culturally relevant safety messages and a mix of education, community events, and enforcement. The bylaw’s rules are paired in staff’s approach with outreach and support for community-led celebrations.

Case against#

• City staff identify a risk that enforcement could be seen as unfairly targeting particular communities. Higher fines could make the consequences more serious without, by themselves, resolving that concern.
• Staff report that fireworks remain an enforcement challenge despite existing restrictions. The material does not show that higher fines or the new display offence will reduce unauthorized use.
• The new offence’s practical boundary is unclear from the supplied summary. Without clear guidance on what counts as openly displaying a firework in a public place, enforcement could be difficult to apply consistently.