The details are still being worked out but, as part of the City of North Bay's centennial celebrations in 2025, the skyward evening entertainment will look a little different.
Communications Officer Gord Young confirms the City is "planning to replace traditional fireworks with drone shows. Several potential events are being considered, including the Families First New Year's Eve event and our Canada Day celebrations."
In recent years, perhaps due to the proliferation of social media, the objections of community members — notably pet owners — to the adverse effects of the noise associated with fireworks displays on their furry family members seem to have been amplified.
And, although this summer has seen less severe fire activity, some communities are growing weary of setting off fireworks during fire warnings or outright bans.
Organizers considered a two-night laser show for this weekend's Voyageur Days in Mattawa but instead opted to stick with a fireworks display for the 25th-anniversary celebration.
In a Village Media poll taken following the Victoria Day long weekend, half of all respondents said if they had the power to do it, they would reduce or eliminate the use of fireworks.
Several communities are opting to at least test out the drone shows, as North Bay is, before deciding on the future of fireworks. Greater Sudbury and Timmins both held their first drone shows on Canada Day.
"If these drone shows are successful," Young added, "we may continue using them either on their own or in combination with traditional fireworks," in North Bay.
In Sudbury, Science North CEO Ashley Larose backed the recent drone show leading up to July 1.
“Anyone who has a pet realizes that there's also quite an impact, typically, of the noises and the big loud bangs of the fireworks. And also when we're sensitive to members of our community who may be suffering from PTSD, often those bangs can be traumatizing for them as well. This is a nice, inclusive and equitable alternative that's also great for the environment.”
Thousands flocked to the grounds of Science North as dusk fell on July 1. The 10-minute-long show (see video above) by North Star Drone Shows featured 100 lighted drones flown in formation via a high-tech computerized GPS, forming patterns including the Big Nickel, the Canadian flag, a flying squirrel and more. Science North asked North Star to produce patterns related to Sudbury, science and nature. The patterns were set to music by various Canadian artists and ended with the playing of O Canada.
Science North received $30,000 from the City of Greater Sudbury through the Community Grants Program to support the drone show. The cost of the drone show is the same as the traditional fireworks display, according to Science North officials.
North Star Drone Shows also put on the Timmins display, which included live music as a lead-in.
Organizing committee member Mark Rogers said the switch in Timmins from traditional fireworks to a drone show makes the event more pet and family-friendly and helps avoid any possible cancellations.
“We were concerned about a fire ban, although where we’ve been cancelled in the past, this year we’ve had a lot of rain,” he said. “Fireworks are very hard on a lot of dogs and animals, so that’s why we went that way.”
Rogers said people should remember that viewing the drones is similar to a traditional fireworks display, and getting a little distance can help bring it all together.
“For people watching the show, you don’t want to be right underneath them, so around the perimeter of Gillies Lake would be good, or back further than that,” he said. “If you’re right under the drones you don’t get the full effect.”
— With files from Amanda Rabski-McColl and Heidi Ulrichsen
