There will be fireworks in St. John’s just not on New Year’s Eve

[The fireworks will take place on New Year’s Day at Quidi Vidi Lake. CBC]

The City of St. John’s won’t be going out with a bang when it comes time to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

While the Newfoundland and Labrador capital is traditionally the first Canadian city to ring in the New Year with fireworks, this year there will be less noise when the clock strikes midnight. The celebration will instead take place in the downtown core with a laser light show, which also celebrates Canada’s 150^th anniversary.

Meanwhile, the fireworks will take place on New Year’s Day at Quidi Vidi Lake, where past New Year’s Eve parties have been held.

Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth says the change came as a result of scheduling both a New Year’s Party and Canada’s 150^th birthday, which is being funding by the federal government.

The city wanted to plan a family-friendly event in the downtown area that could accommodate a lot of people. He says the lake in the wintertime doesn’t get as much of a draw as it does during events in the warmer months. So the city scheduled two parties on different days at different venues.

In turn, the party for Canada’s 150^th birthday will take place on Dec. 31, using $170,000 from the government, while the fireworks display on Jan. 1 will be at the lake, with $30,000 of the costs covered by the city’s money.

“We’ll still ring in the New Year, and the lightshow will be the representation of the New Year coming in,” Ellsworth tells Yahoo Canada News. “I think in a lot of ways, it’ll be a lot more historical, since we’ll be in the core of St. John’s.”

He admits there’s been some concern about there being two events and the potential costs. Ellsworth stresses that both will be free to the public, and funding by the federal government and the city have covered all costs.

“We’ll still be marking in the New Year, just not with fireworks,” he says. “But in the interest of finding a compromise for such a large event, yet still be able to offer a family-friendly event, this was the best compromise we could come up with.”

Ellsworth adds that in previous years, the city has had to delay fireworks at Quidi Vidi Lake, a five-minute drive from downtown, due to bad weather. Next year, the lake will return to hosting the New Year’s celebrations again.

Jonathan Galgay, a city councillor who’s been pressing to hold New Year’s celebrations in downtown, says he’s delighted by the news.

“It’ll bring people closer together,” he says. “The other location was not in the best interest for the people.… More people will be able to participate.”