Ten Calgary city councillors have rebelled against Mayor Jyoti Gondek and the woke arts and culture staff who decided that fireworks are racist — and filed a notice of motion that requires fireworks on Canada Day. 

The city announced last week that it would finish off Canada Day with a pyrotechnic show in place of what’s normally a massive fireworks show. The decision was made by an unelected arts and culture manager, Franca Gualtieri, who cited “cultural sensitivities” as well as environmental concerns.

But on Thursday, ten out of fourteen city councillors signed their names to the notice of motion to overturn the decision.

“Be it resolved that council direct Administration to include an aerial fireworks display as part of the City’s 2023 Canada Day celebrations provided it can be achieved within existing budgets,” the notice reads.

The Counter Signal’s Editor-in-Cheif Keean Bexte said “Big L for the woke fools trying to ban Canada Day celebrations. Councilor @DanWMcLean and other conservatives have overruled @JyotiGondek. There will be fireworks.”

Councilor Dan McLean announced his opposition to the decision immediately upon hearing it was made.

“Calgarians spoke up loudly and they didn’t buy the argument that Canada Day fireworks should be cancelled over cultural and environmental concerns,” Dan McLean told The Counter Signal.

Notable holdouts among the city councilors are Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Kourtney Penner, and Courtney Walcott.

Penner had gone as far as threatening that overturning the fireworks ban would be “colonial and racist.”

Mayor Gondek, who supported the decision to ban fireworks, also asked Calgarians “to recognize the fact that it’s the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act and there’s Truth and Reconciliation commitments.” 

“I would encourage everyone to get to know a little bit more about what the celebration is about,” Gondek said in defending the decision to scrap the fireworks.

Outrage over the committee’s decision to scrap the fireworks show — and implement the pyrotechnic “pilot project” — spread far and wide since it was first announced last week. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner chastised the decision earlier this week.

 “Suggesting that Canada Day shouldn’t be a day for celebration does just that, and I won’t allow my community to be pushed into that corner,” Garner said.