Sydenham Fireworks delay disappoints many

Wilma Kenny | Jul 06, 2016

by Wilma Kenny (with a file by Jeff Green)

Tim Laprade, the Public Works Department, Mike Howe and a huge number of hard-working volunteers made this year’s Canada Day celebrations the township’s best ever. The fun included water slides, face painting, air castles, soccer, parades, excellent food, and dramatic fireworks at Harrowsmith, Sunbury and Sydenham.

In Sydenham, Canada Day crowds were the first to be allowed onto the newly mowed turf of the football field at the Point to watch the fireworks. Boats crowded the lake, and another group watched from the bridge. 9:45 passed, 10:00, and the band continued to play. Fireworks could be heard, and seen, from Centennial Park in Harrowsmith, but there were none on Sydenham Lake. Any announcements that may have been made weren’t heard by people in the boats or on the bridge. By 10:30, people began to drift away. Rumours spread, but no one knew when or whether the fireworks would begin.

Some, the hard-core fireworks addicts, didn’t give up hope until 11:00 and even they were beginning to straggle off, when the show finally began. It was well worth waiting for, better than ever, but many had gone home by then.

It turns out that the company, Fireworks FX, which provided the fireworks to all three venues in South Frontenac (Harrowsmith, Sunbury and Sydenham) were missing some of the fireworks for Sydenham, causing a delay as they had to bring them in. Then, because the Sydenham show was being fired in a different way this year, a threat of lightning in the area had to be taken more seriously than it would have been with a manual firing system.

In an open letter to the residents of South Frontenac, Fireworks FX President Fred Wade, explained what happened.

“The display this year was to be fired differently than previously. It was to be all electrical which presents some unique safety hazards with the weather conditions and the possibility of thunder showers and lightning. The proximity of lightning poses significant safety hazards to the crew in trying to prepare the show, which resulted in a delay.”

However he then said that there were things the company “could have done to help mitigate the lost time and so be able to present the display on time.”

He apologized for the inconvenience and disappointment caused by the long delay, saying, “We would like the community to understand that we take complete responsibility and to offer our sincere apologies to the community and to the committee.”

As well as apologizing, Wade has offered to provide next year’s fireworks show at the Point free of charge. He has also promised that his company will be sure to have better technical and communication systems in 2017.

While Fireworks FX has taken responsibility for the delay, the township is considering how it could have done a better job informing the public about what was going on.

In a letter to residents released on Tuesday, Recreation Coordinator Tim Laprade wrote, “The Township of South Frontenac and the Loughborough District Canada Day Committee are also using this incident to establish a more robust and multi-faceted communication strategy in the event that weather, safety concerns or technical delays are experienced at future events. This will be in place for the 2017 event, so that the Fireworks Site Supervisor is aware of the notification expectations of the Event Organizer and that timely updates can be communicated to the spectators who are viewing from the Point Park or from the waters of Sydenham Lake.”