Mark your calendars: Fireworks will return to English Bay this B.C. Day long weekend
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Vancouverites will still get a summer fireworks display this year, with the city announcing the date for a one-night show after the cancellation of the Celebration of Light fireworks competition.
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The city-organized fireworks display will be held at English Bay on Friday, July 31, the start of the B.C. Day long weekend.
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The event, dubbed Summer Lights, is free, with no tickets or registration required.
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“Summer Lights in English Bay is about bringing people together for a spectacular evening in one of Vancouver’s most iconic settings,” said Mayor Ken Sim in a news release on Tuesday. “This is a free, welcoming celebration for residents, families and visitors to enjoy during what will be an extraordinary summer for our city.”
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Sunrise
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The event was proposed by Sim after Celebration of Light organizers announced it was cancelling the long-running fireworks competition due to a lack of funding.
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City council voted in February to spend up to $2 million for a one-night fireworks event, drawing criticism over the additional expense at a time when the city was operating under an austerity budget that saw cuts to jobs and services.
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The one-night show will be produced by BrandLive, the same production company that mounted the Celebration of Light, in co-ordination with the city, Vancouver park board and other groups.
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It’ll be a scaled-down version, with food trucks and a smaller rooftop lounge on top of the English Bay bathhouse. There will be no grandstand seating or drone show.
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More details — including time, viewing areas, road closures and accessibility information — are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
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