A Port Coquitlam city councillor is calling for regulation changes that would prohibit the sale of fireworks on First Nations property.
Coun. Mike Forrest said the fact that items prohibited for sale in PoCo are readily available on Kwikwetlem First Nation land is a "slap in the face" to the city, which tries to limit and regulate fireworks in the municipality.
"It just mocks us completely to have fireworks for sale down on Pitt River Road," he said during Monday's council meeting. "It is inappropriate for these things to be allowed to happen.
All three Tri-City municipalities have banned the sale of fireworks within their boundaries and place strict limitations on where and when they can be discharged.
PoCo, for example, only issues permits to people planning to light their fireworks on private property or as part of a public event that has received written permission from the fire department.
While Forrest would like to see a ban in place soon, he said he is under no illusions that the process will be a quick one.
Aboriginal affairs are a federal matter, which means PoCo would have to take the fireworks issue to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which lobbies Ottawa on behalf of cities. If there is an appetite among FCM members to pursue the regulation changes, it could be adopted by the organization. "It would be a pretty big project," Forrest told The Tri-City News on Tuesday. "This isn't something that would be simple at all."
The issue came up while council was discussing an update to its Fire and Emergency Services Bylaw.
The Kwikwetlem First Nation did not respond to a request for an interview before The Tri-City News' deadline.
