Drone light shows a potential firework alternative during wildfire season

Eager crowds usually gather this weekend across Quebec to watch a fabulous fireworks display for St-Jean-Baptiste Day, but this year the sky will remain dark because of the record wildfire season.

In Quebec, a ban on outdoor fires — in effect across most of the province north of the St. Lawrence River — includes fireworks.

In Gatineau, residents won’t be able to launch fireworks or use sparklers during the festivities for the June 24 and July 1 holidays, the city said in a news release. 

There’s an alternative to fireworks, some argue, that could still light the sky for St-Jean-Baptiste Day and Canada Day without fears of sparking a fire.

Attendees to this year’s Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival at Mādahòkì Farm in Ottawa took in a drone light show that told a creation story by elder and language keeper Barbara Nolan.

Drone light shows have become increasingly more popular, promoted as a quieter, more environmentally friendly and animal-friendly solution.

For this year’s Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival at Mādahòkì Farm in Ottawa, organizers opted for such a display. Dozens of drones flew into the sky Wednesday night and formed constellations that told a creation story by elder and language keeper Barbara Nolan.