Selling or shooting off fireworks in Calgary illegal on Canada Day or any other day

If you live in Calgary and you're stocked up on fireworks to dazzle family and friends for the Canada Day celebrations, you might want to put your pyrotechnic aspirations aside.

We don't like to defuse anyone's fun, but according to a local fireworks expert and a Calgary Fire Department spokesperson, setting off fireworksanywhereinside the city limits of Calgary, including in your backyard, is illegal if you don't get all of the permits required.

• Canada Day in Calgary: Fireworks schedule, special events, what's open and closed, and more

If you're really determined, you'll need a lot of patience and persistence to become legal.

"You cannot shoot fireworks in the City of Calgary if you do not have a fireworks supervisor card whether it's professional fireworks or the consumer fireworks that we all grew up shooting in our backyards," Ken Goosen,told the Eyeopener on Thursday.

As the producer of the 10-dayGlobalfest fireworks extravaganza held in Calgary, he knows, "There are so many rules," around fireworks shows.

Insurance and permits

Though you can buy fireworks inBritish Columbia or beyond the city limits in small towns, that doesn't meanyou're allowed to shoot them off in Calgary.

Even if you're outside the city limits in a municipality that sells fireworks, depending on where you are, the rules could be different. In some places you mightneed official permission from the local fire marshalwhilein others, a simple phone call to the fire department will be enough.

Still not deterred in Calgary? You'll need a number of permits, one that isissued by the federal government and can take nearly three weeks to get. Then you'll alsoneed permission from the city and the Calgary Fire Departmentfire marshal, plus $5 million in insurance, says Goosen.

According to Carol Henke, a spokesperson with the fire department, you need to get a license through the Explosives Regulatory Division, a national licensing board and show the permit to the city.

Modern fireworks more explosive

As beautiful as fireworks are, they can be dangerous if set off by inexperienced people.

Modern fireworks are not necessarily any safer. "In fact, they have become more explosive," says Goosen.

Even the off-the-shelf consumer product can be pretty powerful. But the safety distances have improved greatly, he says.

"If you see that safety distance on your product, make sure your audience or any buildings or fuel is that far away."

Goosenwillbe putting on his own show south of Calgary in Black Diamond on Canada Day. The show starts at 11 p.m. behind the Rona store on the town's main street.

If you're staying in Calgary, Goosen says the best place to watch the fireworks show off the Centre Street bridge is from Crescent Heights or from downtown. That show begins at 11 p.m.

With files from The Eyeopener