Final Weekend for Phatboy Fireworks in Woodstock

Friday, 10 November 2023 12:07

Phatboy Fireworks will close its doors for good on Sunday, due to the consumer fireworks bylaw that takes effect next year.

WOODSTOCK - Phatboy Fireworks is bidding farewell to the City of Woodstock.

Erica Hogan has been working for the company since she was 16 years old. She was a cashier at another location and eventually became able to open up her own location in Woodstock 10 years ago.

She says Phatboy Fireworks has always been a family-based brand, adding people don't buy fireworks with the intention of upsetting their neighbours with the loud noise.

"They're coming in because they're buying fireworks for a celebration, time to spend with their kids, and a reason to gather in their community with their neighbours."

Throughout the years, Phatboy Fireworks has been able to open in Woodstock seven days prior to Victoria Day, Canada Day, and Diwali. That will change in 2024. Once the new consumer fireworks ban takes effect in January, it will be illegal for residents to purchase and discharge their own fireworks in the Friendly City.

This has turned Hogan's world upside down and she doesn't know what she's going to do now.

"Can I open up shop in the closest town next? Absolutely. Will I lose a very large majority of my customer base in Woodstock because no one is allowed to discharge fireworks in Woodstock? Absolutely. So now I am being pushed into a rock and a hard spot where I basically need to reopen a business in the beginning of a recession. How does one person do that? I have product that was already purchased before the decision was made for next year that I am trying to offload. What am I supposed to do?"

The fireworks shop on Norwich Ave opened its doors for the last time yesterday, ahead of this weekend's Diwali celebrations. Hogan says they're having a "Put Out of Business Sale" and she hoping everyone will come out to show their support.

Hogan called every Woodstock City Councillor last night in order to plead her case and invite them to the store this weekend. She says she left voicemails for everyone and spoke with Councillor Mark Schadenberg.

In a statement released to Heart FM, Mayor Jerry Acchione says he also called Hogan last night.

"I spoke with Ms. Hogan last night and told her I wish her well and I hope those celebrating Diwali this weekend with fireworks will support her."

Hogan would like to thank everyone who supported her business over the years.

"I cannot begin to show my gratitude for every single person who came in with the stigma that I was just someone trying to push fireworks, when really what I was trying to do was to educate and be part of a moment of creating memories with those families. That watch those families grow over the past 10 years has been unbelievable."

She's now encouraging people to reach out to Woodstock City Council in hopes of reopening the conversation.

Woodstock City Council voted in favour of creating the bylaw in July 2023, after looking over a report from staff that said the bylaw department responded to 50 fireworks complaints last year and 31 complaints in the first half of this year. The bylaw was passed on August 10th and it does not affect public fireworks displays hosted by the city.