The Civic Holiday long weekend is just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean Mississauga residents can celebrate with backyard fireworks without first obtaining a permit from the city.

While fireworks displays are permitted at people’s homes in Mississauga without a permit on Victoria Day, Canada Day, Diwali, Lunar New Year and New Year’s Eve, those who want to use the celebratory devices on their property this coming weekend — to mark the Aug. 3 Civic Holiday — must get prior permission from the municipality. 

The same permit rules also apply to the next long weekend, Labour Day, which falls in early September.

In place of fireworks, City of Mississauga officials have suggested in past years that people celebrate in their backyards with glow sticks, noisemakers or sparklers.

As usual on holiday weekends, Mississauga bylaw enforcement officers will be out in full force in the coming days to ensure fireworks aren’t being sold or used illegally.

Those who want to submit complaints about illegal use of fireworks and residents seeking general information can visit the city’s website and search “fireworks” or call the city’s information/reporting line at 311.

Dozens of complaints this past Canada Day

According to the city, Mississauga residents registered 58 fireworks use complaints with the city’s bylaw enforcement department during the most-recent Canada Day holiday period, which ran from June 26 through July 2.

By comparison, 63 public complaints were received during 2025 Canada Day celebrations and 221 inspections of vendors at that time led to two charges for non-permitted sale of fireworks.

This past Victoria Day weekend in May, the city received 84 complaints from residents related to the illegal use of fireworks.

New fireworks rules in Mississauga

New fireworks rules in Mississauga took effect earlier this year and impact all holidays where residents and others use the celebratory devices.

Under Mississauga’s amended fireworks bylaw approved by city council in late 2025, residents can only set off fireworks at their homes between 6 and 10 p.m. on the aforementioned holidays/dates where permits are not required.

In addition, residents cannot use roman candle fireworks and the city is no longer allowing permits for consumer fireworks. Only permits for display or professional fireworks will be approved.

Several months after strengthening its fireworks bylaw last fall, Mississauga hiked the penalties — again — earlier this year for those who break the rules.

Bylaw enforcement officers can now dish out costlier fines of $500 to $1,000, depending on the infraction, to offenders on the spot. Previously, there were either no set fine amounts for many offences and for others a penalty of $125 was imposed.

The city’s “new, increased and escalating” fines took effect on May 1.

Senior city staff said earlier this year the previous penalties “and enforcement mechanisms for fireworks-related contraventions” were not effective deterrents, “limiting the city’s ability to achieve sustained compliance.”

Last fall, in an ongoing attempt to beef up rules related to use and sale of fireworks, Mississauga city council strengthened regulations and public education efforts related to the celebratory devices. The reworked bylaw took effect in January of this year.

After lengthy debate and public input, council last October opted not to impose a full fireworks ban in Canada’s seventh-largest city, which was being considered, and chose instead to bolster the bylaw.

In late 2023, the city approved changes to its fireworks bylaw that took direct aim at those who most egregiously break the rules. Maximum fines for the worst offenders were increased from $5,000 to $100,000 — or more.


INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies

Last 30 Days: 49,614 Votes

All Time: 1,455,490 Votes

2208 VOTES
Do you like how Doug Ford is handling Trump’s tariffs?

WIN A $100 GIFT CARD

Subscribe to INsauga’s daily email newsletter for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.