Fireworks Use

If you use fireworks, you should be aware that you need different kinds of certificates for different kinds of fireworks. For display fireworks or special effect pyrotechnics, you must be certified by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

Consumer Fireworks

You do not need to be certified by NRCan to use consumer fireworks, but you should check any municipal or provincial requirements that may guide their use where you live. 

Classes of Fireworks

In Canada, fireworks are separated into three classes:

• Consumer fireworks are low-hazard and designed for recreational use. They include items like Roman candles, sparklers, fountains, volcanoes, mines, and snakes.
• Display fireworks are high-hazard and designed for professional use. They include items like aerial shells, cakes, Roman candles, waterfalls, lances, and wheels.
• Special effect pyrotechnics are high-hazard and designed for professional use. They include items like gerbs, mines, comets, and crossettes, as well as special-purpose pyrotechnics made for live stage performances and the film and television industry.

Reporting an Incident

If you have an incident involving fireworks, please report it to the Explosives Regulatory Division using the Incident Report form (F07-01, PDF, 630,64).