Citing its duty as a good corporate citizen, La Ronde has decided to follow public health advice and cancel its first fireworks display of the season, scheduled for Thursday night in Montreal. Poor air quality from wildfires in northern Quebec raises concerns about health effects.
The popular amusement park on Île Sainte-Hélène says it made the difficult decision after consulting its sponsor Loto-Québec.
“The health of Montrealers and Quebecers is a priority for everyone,” said La Ronde President Sophie Émond.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Dr. David Kaiser of the Montreal Regional Public Health Department said the recommendation was based on the already high levels of particulate matter in the air. For Thursday and the following days, the fires are expected to result in maximum concentrations of particulate matter in the air of 150 to 200.
Performing fireworks would have released significant amounts of additional particles into the air, potentially having a greater impact on public health. dr Kaiser argued that such a sight can add an additional concentration of 200 to 300 fine dust particles to the air for a few hours.
The two parties spoke of a “case of force majeure” and an “exceptional situation” for such a decision.
Regarding La Ronde, Sophie Émond explains that due to the large number of partners involved, it was impossible to postpone the event, especially with regard to security on the riverbank and on the Jacques Cartier bridge.
For the time being, La Ronde will retain the other evenings of the International des Feux Loto-Québec competition. The public health consultation process will resume in the days leading up to each of the next seven events.
Because the logistics required to install or deinstall explosive devices require between one and three days of labor, there are significant ramifications for the cancellation of a show.
According to Sophie Emond, craftsmen will need 24 hours to remove the explosives that have been installed in the La Ronde launch areas for three days.
The first country in the running for the 37th pyrotechnics competition, Ukraine, will present its sound and light show on July 6th. Also, because the competition is international, the decision to cancel a show is all the more difficult, Ms Emond added.
According to La Ronde spokesman, 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 area and health officials who are not used to dealing with so much smoke in the air.
“We’re learning,” he admitted, adding that the available information about the movement of the smoke plumes doesn’t allow us to project very far ahead.
“We have particle level forecasts that do not reliably go beyond 24 to 48 hours,” he continued.
He recalled how important it is for the population to monitor air quality indices and not go outside when the concentration of particles is too high.
In the event that one is forced to go outside, especially when it is too hot inside, wearing the N-95 mask can be effective with the right adjustment.
For the time being, poor air quality would not have had a significant impact on the indicators observed by public health, ie ambulance transport, attendance at emergency rooms and hospital admissions.
When the air quality is poor, it is also advisable to give priority to public and active transport over the car and to avoid activities that cause additional pollution.
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