Fireworks

Last night, while so many in the city were perched on sofas, watching the Montreal Canadiens avoid elimination from the Stanley Cup Finals, I opted to walk to the Detroit River and catch the sunset.

The last time I had watched the sun descend below the Detroit skyline was three years ago, when my family and I were sitting on lawn chairs among a throng, waiting for it to get dark enough for the Ford Fireworks to begin.

This was the second year in which the bilateral fireworks display had been relegated to a secret location so it could be seen only from the safety of one’s living room. As such, it seems that this year there was a much larger than normal enthusiasm for setting off consumer fireworks to celebrate July 1st and July 4th, respectively.

I cannot tell you how many people set off fireworks in school yards and abandoned lots in Windsor, Ontario because this year, I spent July 1st on the coast of Lake Huron, visiting family. My parents live in Sarnia, which is just upstream from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. And it took me some time to find sleep during my visit because as soon as the sun set, families in the neighbourhood set off fireworks.