To the Editor,

As a resident of Minden Hills and Horseshoe Lake, I am emailing you about the use of personal fireworks. You may remember a petition that was sent, a couple of years ago, calling for a complete ban of personal fireworks.  
At the rate at which our climate is changing for the worse, I feel that it is beyond time to enact a complete ban. As we watch the extreme weather in the west coast of Canada from Minden, which has  experienced an incredibly dry spring with low water levels, it is irresponsible to allow the use of personal fireworks to continue before we end up in a situation like the west coast. The Township, Horseshoe Lake Property Owners Association (HLPOA) and the Be Shore groups advocate for naturalization of our shores to protect the valued aspect of this area, the water on which we live. Allowing fireworks to be used and therefore depositing heavy metals into the water is quite contrary to what is being advocated. Aside from the pollution, there is the increased risk of fires, the strain on the wildlife such as birds abandoning their young, mammals becoming disoriented and running into roads and so much more. This also strains the good people at Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary who tirelessly work to keep our wildlife bountiful despite what others do. Not only does this affect the wildlife that we share these beautiful lands with, but it affects those that we share our homes with. The noise pollution from fireworks can be triggering to those that served our country suffering from PTSD and also triggering to our furry family members.

As a tax-paying resident of Minden Hills, the  town councils of Haliburton County are urged to be a leader in the fight against climate change and enact a full ban on the use of personal fireworks. It is time that we put our words into action to protect our environment. I would be more than happy to further discuss this topic in person, via phone or email

Carol Jamieson Hewitt