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The City of Edmonton is considering a pilot Diwali fireworks show to see if a centralized festival tamps down on the illegal use of fireworks.
City staff is working with Edmonton’s South Asian community to try to co-ordinate events for the Festival of Lights, including a possible event at city hall and a potential fireworks display in Mill Woods Park in November.
The conversation was prompted after police said Diwali fireworks burned two homes last year. The illegal use of fireworks at other celebrations and holidays was not discussed at a meeting on Monday.
“Families do fireworks to introduce their children to Diwali, the celebration, because their kids have not seen it in India before,” community advocate Shaminder Parmar said in an interview on Monday.
Council is considering a list of options including an invite-only celebration at city hall with no fireworks, or a community-led event at Mill Woods Park with a large fireworks display.
Parmar, who was a part of a city steering committee on the Diwali pilot, told council Monday that in order to improve compliance with rules, the South Asian community needs an attractive and safe alternative, but one that includes fireworks.
He said Edmonton’s South Asian community is growing, and the community and city need to come together to address the issue.
“I’ve been to India, I’ve seen how the fireworks are. It’s really fun, but there’s not a lot of bylaw officers there,” he said.
“We do have to do a bit of change management as this city grows.”
City administration initially predicted the proposed Mill Woods event would cost $110,000. But councillors and Parmar said that estimate is likely high, and noted the community already has some grant money available to it and a strong ability to fundraise.
Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said while an event at city hall highlights the importance of Diwali, she’d like to see activities where people actually are.
“We not only have to deal with the safety concerns, but I think we do need to recognize the needs of the community as well.”
Wright wondered if multiple smaller displays would make more sense than a single centralized display. City staff and the community steering committee will discuss the options and next steps.
Compliance
Fireworks supplier John Adria, with Uncle John’s Fireworks, doesn’t think a larger event will improve compliance.
He told council the city has made getting a permit too difficult, which pushes things underground.
“What worked for Edmonton for decades was to allow community groups to get permits to use fireworks,” Adria said.“We have lost [the] majority of community shows.”
He argued that because there’s fewer permitted displays at temple parking lots around the city, people are setting off fireworks at places that are less safe.
Messaging
The report to council included feedback gathered from the South Asian professional organization The Sifarish Network following the 2025 fires. It said the community has safety concerns but also worries about stigmatization and an increase of anti-South Asian racism.
“We heard concerns that the actions of a small number of individuals have come to define an entire celebration,” Parmar said.
This year, the city’s messaging will shift to focus on safe alternative programming and community celebration rather than legal consequences.
In the fall, council will also look at potential stricter bylaws for the purchase and discharge of illegal fireworks, whether related to Diwali or any other celebrations.