City official apologizes for surprise Canada Day fireworks at Bluesfest that alarmed residents

Ottawa's general manager of Emergency and Protective Services apologized Monday after the city's unannounced Canada Day fireworks display during Bluesfest drew criticism from nearby residents and city councillors.

Ryan Perrault said the city recognizes the surprise display had an impact on the community. "It's very clear to me that it had impacts on the community, and for that I'm extremely sorry for that experience that those residents felt," he said during a press conference at city hall. "That's something that we're going to have to take away and look at as part of our processes."

The unused Canada Day fireworks were launched over LeBreton Flats just before 11 p.m. on July 9 after the original July 1 show was cancelled because of severe storms. The city and Canadian Heritage chose not to notify the public in advance, saying they wanted to avoid drawing additional crowds as thousands of Bluesfest attendees were leaving the site and believed it was safer to set off the fireworks rather than dismantling them.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was not aware of the fireworks plan ahead of time. "I've been preoccupied with the flooding situation. I haven't really spent a lot of time on this issue. I wasn't aware in advance of what the plan was," he said.

Ottawa By-law and Regulatory Services received 38 complaints about the surprise display Friday morning, prompting criticism from several nearby city councillors and residents who said the late-night fireworks should have been communicated in advance.