Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 7, 2008

HAY RIVER - Firefighters in Hay River are constantly ready to fight fire, but once a year they produce a dazzling fireworks display to welcome the new year.

Vince McKay, a captain with the department, oversees the production on the frozen Hay River.

"It's a lot of work and a lot to ask of members on New Year's Eve," McKay said.

Capt. Vince McKay of the Hay River Fire Department holds a fireworks shell while setting up a New Year's display on the frozen Hay River - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Normally, firefighters would be kissing their spouses after midnight on New Year's Eve, he said. "But they're setting off explosives, instead."

McKay said there are usually about 10 firefighters involved in the production.

There were New Year's Eve fireworks in Hay River through the 1980s, but that stopped during the '90s.

The fireworks were brought back for the millennium year of 2000, McKay said. "It was supposed to be a one-year thing."

It's a non-alcoholic event where the whole community, including children, can get together to celebrate the arrival of a new year, he said. It is estimated that the fireworks attract more than 1,000 people.

"At the end of the show, everyone cheers and claps," said McKay, who is also a town councillor. "That's what we're looking for."

Firefighter Terence Fischer enjoys helping to stage the fireworks.

"I think it's good for the community," he said. "It brings everyone out."

Fischer said he enjoys the rush of manually lighting the smaller fireworks.

This year, the show used more electronic firing to launch the larger shells for improved safety.

The show uses four different sizes of shells, ranging from 76 mm to 155 mm.

Firefighter Kyle Wright enjoys putting on the show for the community.

"It's a good time," Wright said, adding he enjoys wiring up the fireworks.

Prior to the 2000 show, McKay and several other firefighters took a two-day course in pyrotechnics from a visiting specialist from Industry Canada.

With the training, McKay became a certified pyrotechnician and a level one supervisor for fireworks displays.

Without that certification, the fire department would not be able to buy fireworks from suppliers.

McKay is now the only firefighter to have taken the safety course still with the department.

The fireworks display cost about $7,000. The money comes from the Town of Hay River and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

There have been only two mishaps in the years the fire department has been staging the fireworks display.

In 2001, a small shell fired from a mortar, but went sideways when it left the tube. It ricocheted off McKay's back and exploded about 100 metres away. Luckily, he was uninjured.

Two years ago, a shell exploded inside a mortar, shredding the hard plastic tube. Shrapnel hit a firefighter and powder got in his eyes.

"There were minor injuries, but he was OK," McKay said.

All firefighters wear full gear to protect themselves from small chips of metal, rock and plastic falling after the explosions.