Fireworks show scheduled for August 12 during Blueberry Festival

Tim Brody - Editor

Fireworks are scheduled to light up the night sky above Sioux Lookout on August 12 courtesy of the Sioux Lookout Lions Club and Sioux Lookout Fire Department.
The fireworks show had to be rescheduled from Canada Day to a later date when a province-wide fire ban was lifted. 
The fireworks show will take place at Farlinger Park (Town Beach) at dusk, weather permitting.
Sioux Lookout Lions Club representative Lisa Larsh said, “It should be a spectacular fireworks show.”
“We were able to put about $12,000 into fireworks this year which is a significant increase from previous years (typically $7000 - $8000 is spent on the fireworks show). Thanks go out to Rosiak Carpentry, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and the Municipality of Sioux Lookout. With a small club like ours, we couldn’t do this without these generous donations,” she added.
Larsh said, “The Lions Club’s Canada Day fireworks have been postponed in past years due to weather and we feel that during the Blueberry Festival is a great option given the amount of people in town to visit family and enjoy the activities. What better way to end off the 10-day community event than with a great fireworks display, even if it was meant for Canada Day!”
She added, “We’d also like to thank Fire Chief Jeremy Funk and his volunteer fire crew for preparing and setting off the fireworks display. They all require training to do this and the fact that they volunteered their time to attend training and to prepare and set off the fireworks is a huge benefit to our community. Lions greatly appreciate their volunteerism!”
Sioux Lookout Emergency Services Manager/Fire Chief Jeremy Funk shared, “We are happy to be able to support the Lions Club fireworks program again this year. We have a long-standing tradition of working together and I’m glad the show is going ahead (weather dependent).”
He added, “I would like to thank the Lions Club for supporting the Fire Department with the fireworks. There is specific training that our members take to be able to order and work with the commercial grade fireworks we use. Our partnership with the Lions Club has yielded many memorable fireworks displays over the years, and we look forward to another impressive display this summer. I also want to acknowledge, with thanks, the Firefighters who donate their time to set-up, shoot, and clean-up the fireworks.
“Finally, I would also like to thank the Lions Club and the entire community of Sioux Lookout for the support when we decided to postpone the Canada Day display and wait for better conditions – which we now have.”
Larsh said many long-time community members will recall that previous shows used to end with an iconic waterfall firework, “We are often asked why we no longer have this. Our biggest reason is cost - it is extremely expensive and would take up a large part of the fireworks budget which would shorten the show significantly. There was also a concern that in dryer years, it may cause a potential fire in the foliage below the hill where the fireworks are set off. Many people miss it, in large part because it also indicated that the show was over. To help with this, this year the fire crew will blow an air horn at the end of the show to indicate that it is over.”