The night sky in Waterloo was lit up on Canada Day, although it wasn’t the typical display of fireworks that stole the show this year. Rather, it was a new kind of technology that replaced the usual explosion of sound and color: drones. Drones have recently begun to replace fireworks during celebrations in multiple cities, in an effort to reduce environmental impact, safety risks, offer a pet-friendly experience, and provide a new kind of entertainment.

An article from CBS News describes how drones are now being fitted with LED lights as they move to create intricate patterns and designs in the night sky. Rick Boss, the president of the drone company Sky Elements, emphasizes that unlike traditional fireworks shows, drone shows are less risky when it comes to safety. To date, Sky Elements has entertained over 500 crowds with their drone light shows.

What did Canada Day in Waterloo look like this year?

On July 1, Waterloo Region celebrated Canada Day a little differently than previous years. CBC News reported that this year, Kitchener’s Victoria Park banned fireworks. At 10 p.m. that night, police were called when fireworks were set off regardless of the ban, leading to the closure of the park on Canada Day night. The park re-opened the following morning. Meanwhile, Waterloo Park held its own July 1 celebrations. A community picnic was held between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Waterloo Park West. The picnic included food trucks, live performances, local artists, and games. Waterloo park did not close that night, however police later reported a sexual assault had occurred along one of the park’s trails. Waterloo park held a drone show at 10 p.m that night created by North Star Drone Shows that included a 100 piece LED drone show. In attendance during the Waterloo Park drone show was Rohan Raghavan, a 3B statistics student. Asked about why he chose to attend the drone show rather than a typical fireworks celebration, he shared “I had never seen a drone show before, and the Canada Day event at Waterloo Park seemed a lot bigger and better than the one happening at Victoria Park based on the flyers.” The key question for Raghavan was whether he felt that drone shows could be an equally exciting replacement for fireworks. Raghavan believes yes, fireworks “can be a lot more fun than fireworks because of the silly things the drones can create in the sky — case in point, the image of the waving beaver.” He adds on, “ I also think they’re better for wildlife and the environment, but I’m not entirely sure about that.” Overall Raghavan emphasized the show as a fun and novel experience and the value in “being part of a big community celebrating together.”

So, will drones really replace fireworks?

The question of whether LED drone shows will gradually begin to take the place of fireworks remains unknown. Still, the community interest in attending drone shows, the decreased environmental and safety risks involved, and pet-friendly experience all suggest that finding new ways to celebrate important moments and holidays can be an equally exciting experience.