The five people who were asked in the July 8 Observer’s question of the week whether Salmon Arm should have Canada Day fireworks all agreed we should have fireworks on Canada Day.
Several years ago we did have Canada Day fireworks in Salmon Arm Bay and they were fantastic! However, there was a problem. Salmon Arm Bay is a bird sanctuary and the fireworks during the nesting season disturbed the nesting birds.
The yellow-headed blackbirds which were nesting along the foreshore never returned to their nests after the fireworks that year. Many naturalists were afraid yearly fireworks on July 1 would disturb the Western Grebes nesting in the bay.
This year, it would have been dangerous to have fireworks on land on July 1 because of the wildfire danger.
So let us continue to enjoy the wonderful Children’s Festival here on July 1 and let us go to Sicamous or Sorrento if we want to enjoy fireworks.
John Henderson