Citing its duty as a good corporate citizen, La Ronde has taken the decision to follow the recommendation of public health and cancel its first fireworks show of the season scheduled for Thursday evening in Montreal. Poor air quality due to forest fires in northern Quebec raises fears of health impacts.
The popular amusement park on Île Sainte-Hélène says it made this difficult choice after consultation with its sponsor Loto-Québec.
“The health of Montrealers and Quebecers is everyone’s priority,” said La Ronde president Sophie Émond.
At a press conference on Thursday morning, Dr. David Kaiser of the Montreal Regional Public Health Department explained that the recommendation was based on the already high level of particles in the air. Maximum fine particulate air concentrations of 150 to 200 due to the fires are expected for Thursday and the following days.
Holding a fireworks show would have added a significant amount of additional particles to the air, which could have had a greater impact on the health of the population. Dr. Kaiser argued that such a sight can add an additional concentration of 200 to 300 fine particles to the air for a few hours.
The two parties spoke of a “case of force majeure” and an “exceptional situation” to reach such a decision.
As for La Ronde, Sophie Émond explains that it was impossible to postpone the event because of the large number of partners involved, particularly in terms of safety on the banks of the river and on the Jacques-Cartier bridge.
For now, La Ronde is maintaining the other evenings of the International des Feux Loto-Québec contest. The consultation process with public health will be resumed in the days leading up to each of the next seven events.
Since the logistics required to install or uninstall explosive devices require between one and three days of work, the cancellation of a show has significant consequences.
According to Sophie Emond, the artificers will need 24 hours to remove the explosive material installed for three days already in the launch areas of La Ronde.
The first country in the running for the 37th pyrotechnic competition, Ukraine, is to present its sound and light show on July 6. Moreover, as it is an international competition, the decision to cancel a show is all the more difficult to take, added Ms. Emond.
According to the La Ronde spokesperson, this would be the first cancellation of a fireworks show for health reasons in 37 years.
New reality
Dr. David Kaiser spoke of a new reality for the Montreal region and public health authorities who are not used to having to manage the presence of so much smoke in the air.
“We learn”, he admitted, adding that the information available concerning the movement of the clouds of smoke does not allow us to project ourselves very far in advance.
“We have particle level forecasts that do not reliably extend beyond 24 to 48 hours,” he continued.
He recalled the importance for the population to monitor air quality indices and not to go out if the level of particles is too high.
In the event that one is forced to go outside, especially if it is too hot inside, wearing the N-95 mask can be effective if it is properly adjusted.
For the moment, poor air quality would not have had a significant effect on the indicators observed by public health, i.e. transport by ambulance, attendance at emergency rooms and admissions to hospitals.
In situations of poor air quality, it is also recommended to prioritize public and active transportation rather than the car and to avoid activities that add a polluting load.
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