A noisy night of fireworks didn’t amount to problems for Coquitlam police or firefighters but sure riled up a few people.
Former Coquitlam councillor Terry O’Neill posted on Facebook that fireworks went on for hours, and others commented they experienced the same racket on Halloween into the wee hours of the morning.
Still, that noise didn’t turn into problems for police and fire departments.
Coquitlam RCMP and and the Coquitlam fire department reported a relatively quiet night — unlike Vancouver, where crowds gathered last Saturday night raising concerns about COVID-19 spread.
In Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, the biggest issue was fireworks, but there were no big parties, fires or injuries.
“It was absolutely a great night. Everyone was well behaved,” said Coquitlam RCMP media spokesperson Const. Deanna Law, who said police patrols didn’t find anything concerning.
I cannot recall hearing such a sustained barrage of fireworks/crackers as I am hearing in our Eagle Ridge neighbourhood...
Posted by Terry O'Neill on Saturday, October 31, 2020
While fireworks blasted throughout the night, there were no major incidents, said Coquitlam fire chief Jim Ogloff.
“We had a typical Saturday night in terms of call volume,” said Ogloff, who noted there were no fires.
He suspects people were staying close to home because of COVID-19, and were listening to government pleas for people not to have big parties.
The loud barrage of fireworks that went off in many Metro Vancouver municipalities may have been a way for people to celebrate in their family groups while letting off a little steam.
Still, while there were no big problems in the Tri-Cities, social media captured images of people flooding Granville Street on Halloween, raising the ire of some on Facebook.
On the Port Coquitlam community discussion page, for example, people were expressing concern that people packed together would raise the COVID-19 case count and jeopardize Christmas holiday activities while others commented on the mess of fireworks debris left behind.
Port Moody police have yet to comment on Halloween in that city.
