Ottawa city councillors fuming as unannounced fireworks show follows Canada Day storm

Ottawa’s emergency manager apologized today after an unannounced fireworks show rocked parts of the city last week.

The surprise display of pyrotechnics took place after 11 p.m. on July 9, as music fans were starting to file out of the popular Bluesfest concert festival site just west of downtown. 

The fireworks were the ones that were supposed to be set off on Canada Day but had been cancelled after severe storms and flash floods shuttered the annual national birthday celebrations.

The federal Heritage Department says setting off the fireworks in the city was safer than dismantling the launch area and moving them elsewhere and says it chose not to inform the public in order to prevent crowds from gathering without sufficient security and medical services.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he was not told in advance and several city councillors have demanded answers after they received dozens of complaints.

Ryan Perrault, the general manager of the City of Ottawa’s emergency and protective services department, apologized for the incident and says he is still trying to track down who decided to set them off that late on a weeknight during the quiet period mandated by a city bylaw.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2026.

By Dylan Robertson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.