Fireworks will light up the sky as Fort Erie celebrates Canada Day
June 25, 2025 at 3:49 AM
The last edition of the Fort Erie Friendship Festival was held in 2019.
It was a popular event that saw many ups and downs since it began in 1987.
There was a midway that stretched all the way from Mather Arch to Old Fort Erie, an air show, and concerts that drew some of the biggest names in Canadian music.
That’s all part of the past, but one component of the festival still remains.
On Canada Day, a fireworks display hosted by Fort Erie Festivals and the Town of Fort Erie will get going at 10 p.m. on the Niagara Parks property between Old Fort Erie and Beatrice Street near the breakwall.
Lakeshore Road between Dominion Road and Beatrice Street will be closed beginning at 8 p.m.
Bob Brown, a Fort Erie Festivals board member, said it’s “very nice to be able to do that,” when asked about entities coming together to make sure Fort Erie residents have an annual fireworks display on Canada Day.
Large crowds of people from town and other parts of the region come to watch the spectacle.
The Town of Fort Erie will contribute about $16,000 this year, on top of a $10,000 grant successfully applied for by Fort Erie Festivals, said communications staff from the municipality in a statement to Fort Erie Radio.
The town’s funds come from its community events budget, which promotes local businesses and supports events for the enjoyment of town residents.
Brown said the fireworks show typically costs about $1,000 per minute and lasts between 13 and 15 minutes, and that the grant money will also take care of costs associated with making 500 cupcakes that will be handed out at the Fort Erie Race Track on Canada Day.
In addition to being involved in the annual Canada Day fireworks show, Fort Erie Festivals works hard all year to plan for a Christmas event at the race track, which also has fireworks, but didn’t last year due to funding constraints.
The Canada Day show is set off by David Whysall International Fireworks. They have been the in charge of the display for several years and are also behind the daily fireworks events in Niagara Falls, said Brown.
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About The Author
Kris Dubé
Kris is a veteran journalist who has worked in Niagara for close to 20 years. He is also a lifelong resident of Fort Erie, a place he plans to call home and raise his family for many more years.
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