Quality Foods will again stage a Festival of Lights fireworks show at the Qualicum Beach waterfront on May 24.
The plan is to hold the fireworks display from a barge on the water in front to the Qualicum Beach Visitor Centre.
Quality Foods sought permission from the Town of Qualicum Beach council to stage the fireworks, which they plan to subsidize, including the provision of traffic control during the event.
Town staff recommended council grant permission to Quality Foods to hold the special fireworks show but with a caveat, that Qualify Foods be notified this will be the final approval from council for this event with exploding fireworks.
Staff also suggested consideration of council supporting the event in the future will be contingent on an alternative display method being utilized.
Last year, council hesitated to allow the fireworks to proceed as they felt it had a negative impact on the environment. As a condition, they asked Quality Foods to meet with town staff to discuss alternate ways for them to contribute to Family Day weekend in 2025. The meeting failed to take place due to town staff not being available.
"This is something they want to do for this year," said Deputy CAO, Heather Svensen. "We have spoken to them explaining council's discussion from last year. There's new people and they weren't aware and they can't shift gears short of notice to try and do something different."
Even without council's approval, Quality Foods can still go ahead with the show, as the barge where the fireworks will be staged will be in a location in the water that is out of the town's jurisdiction.
Town planner Luke Sales said the issue is the fireworks being promoted and that there should be resources to take care of the the traffic situation during the show.
Mayor Teunis Westbroek said he would allow the fireworks to go ahead this year but "we should look at something else."
Westbroek amended the staff recommendation, altering the last statement that future consideration of council to supporting the event be contingent on alternative participation.
Council approved the amended motion passed 3-2 with councillors Scott Harrison and Petronella Vander Valk opposed.
