Byron says bye-bye to Canada Day fireworks. How rising costs impact London celebrations

When Byron resident Linsday Clark was growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, she always attended Canada Day celebrations at the Byron Optimist Sports Complex to see the fireworks.

She passed that tradition onto her two teenage sons, who now head to the park with their friends every July 1, while Clark watches the fireworks from her backyard.

But this year will be different after the Optimist Club of Byron, which organizes the Canada Day event, announced there will be no fireworks show.

“It’s always been there and to not have that doesn’t feel real or right,” Clark said.

Former Optimist Club of Byron president and Canada Day chairperson, Richard Hooper, said rising costs and decreasing donations are the reason for the change.

“I think a lot of people are going to be very disappointed and I’m sorry that’s going to happen,” said Hooper, who has been involved with the club since the ‘80s.

Canada Day at the park typically costs about $25,000 with $14,000 going towards a half-hour fireworks display, Hooper said. This year, his entire event budget is $6,000.

“Funds have dropped considerably and everything else just seems to go up,” he said. “To be proper in thinking about what we have to do for the upcoming years, it was decided that we had to drop the fireworks.”

Hooper said another reason the Canada Day budget is so small is that the Optimist Club needs to consider its total funds each year and how to distribute the money amongst all of its initiatives.

“With the monies that we have, we support and maintain other functions throughout the city such as community support and children’s activities, so for one night without fireworks, the community is still going to benefit,” he said.

Canada Day has been happening at the park for more than 40 years, Hooper said, and last year about 7,000 people attended.

While there won’t be fireworks in 2026, Canada Day will still happen at the park. Hooper said organizers are in the process of planning a family-friendly daytime event instead.

At the south end of the city, the organizer of another Canada Day celebration says he’s worried that his event could have the same fate as Byron sooner than later.

“Every year we’re worried that we’re not going to be able to raise enough money to put on the event,” said South London Canada Day organizer and Community Council White Oaks president Chris Ewer.

It costs about $10,000 for an 18-minute fireworks show at White Oaks Park, Ewer said, plus additional costs for renting the space, event insurance and additional supplies.

Ewer said costs have risen for the latter two items and it’s become increasingly difficult to find event sponsors.

“Last year was very tough. The city stepped up to help us a bit and we have some fundraisers that we do during the day, which basically made us pretty much break even,” he said, pointing to selling cotton candy and snow cones at the park.

“Even this year, we’re confident that we’re going to pull it together, but as of right now, we haven’t raised enough money to put on the event,” Ewer said.

In addition to donations, both Ewer and Hooper said that more volunteers will help keep their neighbourhood’s Canada Day activities afloat.

“You have to reply on your community,” Ewer said.

With no Byron fireworks, Clark is rethinking her Canada Day tradition this year.

“I’ll probably go somewhere else for fireworks, which is really sad,” she said.

Jeff Melody has been watching the Byron fireworks nearly every year since he moved to the neighbourhood 17 years ago, either at the park or from his neighbour’s yard. This year, he said that he’ll also need to find something new to do.

“We’ll probably walk over to the park and see what’s going on during the daytime, then we may see if there’s another fireworks event around town that we can go to.”

The City of London confirmed it will be hosting its Canada Day fireworks at Harris Park on July 1.

The East London Optimists Club and Argyle BIA will launch fireworks from Kiwanis Park on Canada Day, while the Summerside Community Club will host fireworks at Meadowgate Park on June 28.

Richard said that he hopes Byron residents still come out to support their neighbourhood event this summer, and may even get inspired to help bring the fireworks back.

“I think the community will get to the point where they will understand that more is needed, whether it be through donations or through volunteering,” he said. “I think the community will get together and we will provide fireworks again another year.