Cut the fuse and damp the powder

Once again, the Celebration of Light fireworks festival is in danger of not going ahead this year. This page says it's time for Vancouver to stop shovelling money into the overrated summertime spectacle. While taking a sniff of reality (rather than what's being illegally passed around English Bay on a fireworks night), one realizes that:

-The fireworks do not make the city "World Class", unless one believes that assaults, underage drinking, and bitchy "they sat right in front of us" letters to the West Ender enhance the civic reputation.

-The fireworks do nothing for local businesses, unless one has a party boat or pepper spray concern. If one pokes his head out from the herds shrieking their way up and down Robson or Davie Street, it becomes apparent that very few merchants stay open on a fireworks night, and some are shuttered for fear the crowd is going to party like it's 1994.

Civic leaders shouldn't try to hurry to fill the alleged void left by the fireworks either. Remember the slipshod efforts to resurrect the Vancouver Sea Festival? Why can't we just have a summer to catch our breath from this bizarre winter, and enjoy the 'little' things like Greek Days, the Powell Street Festival, Illuminares, the PNE, and evenings at English Bay watching the sun go down without fearing it could be our last.