It was the annual Canada night on July 23th at L'International des feux Loto-Québec, the Montreal International Fireworks Competition. The Canadian entrant, a new one, was Garden City Display Fireworks based in the Niagara peninsula. With the theme ʺAurora: Fire in the Skyʺ and an all-instrumental soundtrack, it vividly demonstrated the talent of this firm and the relevance for the organizers to enlarge the set of Canadian companies invited ʺto doʺ Montreal.

Garden City Display won the prize of the Canadian competition of Lac des Nations (Sherbrooke) in 2000 and 2002 and it took part to the GlobalFest (Calgary) last year. Though it was the first appearance in Montreal of this company founded 25 years ago, the owner and designer Michael Bohonos had been involved in the award-winning show made by Royal Pyrotechnie in 2003 and the one performed by Pyromagic Productions (Hong Kong) in 2007. In addition to that, Bohonos has seen about 20 displays in Montreal since 1999, providing good knowledge of the site.

The result was a full using of the firing area. Some segments were so wide that pieces landed to the ride area on both sides of the firing ramps. The lake burst with nautical shells several times. The location of ground strobes on the backstage, along the river, as other effects occurred closer to the audience emphasized the depth of the area. Finally, on the fifth firing ramp, built with floating platforms, some comets erupted and followed a converging pattern toward the centre of the lake.

Michael Bohonos was very satisfied of his show, when PyroPlanet met him right after. ʺMy team worked hard. La Ronde team worked hard. It is an honour for us to be hereʺ Bohonos said. The display opened with a set of Rozzi's (USA) salutes which burst simultaneously, thanks to MagicFire chips. The show also featured Vicente Caballer's (Spain) whistling double-ascension girandolas, an original device since girandolas are usually silent. The material was fired with PyroDigital. Asked about the number cues (about 2800), the Canadian designer answered : ʺI'm not a big fan of one ignition, one shell. I used several candles from Panzera and they worked pretty well, I thinkʺ.

Which advices Michael Bohonos would provide to future new entrants? ʺFirst, waterproof everything!ʺ he said. The Canadian team has had to deal with the rain as it set up the show and again during the display. Moreover, contestants must be very well organized in order to set up the show efficiently with La Ronde crew.

At this stage of the competition, six contestants have performed. According to several viewers, like the participants to Paul Marriott's website forum, Grupo Luso Pirotecnia would clearly be the current front runner. Views are more mixed regarding the second and third contestants. However, three more contestants have to perform their shows, so nothing is decided yet.

Garden City Display Fireworks brought a lot of shells and other pyrotechnic effects to Montreal. The massive setup on the third ramp (the quay), including several mortars oriented toward the lake, shows that a lot of them were located to make action as close to the audience as possible.

Daniel Petit, federal MP elected in Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles district, represented the Heritage Minister. He delivered a speech to the audience and welcomed the Canadian entrant on the stage.

The 10-member Canadian crew stood to the national anthem performed by Julie McCabe.

Following a serene opening segment, the pace of the show increased with the second part, on the music of Hans Zimmer's ʺRun Freeʺ. Beginning with these overlapping fans made of cakes shooting short comets, it continued with several large shells, candles of meteor-headed comets below, nautical shells on the lake, and it finished with a return to the fans of cakes.

One of the most obvious portrayal of auroras was made with these shells of falling leaves, as one colour followed another.

On Zimmer's ʺRain Makerʺ, a series of wheels came into life (though some of them didn't spin, as it is often the case with these temperamental devices...) and were augmented by dense fans of silver comets.

Few minutes before the finale, one of the most spectacular sequence of the show was these V-shape cakes shooting blue stars very quickly.

Back to a dry place, Garden City Display Fireworks and La Ronde crews stood together for an ultimate picture inside the Salon des Artificiers. The rain stopped about 30 minutes after the Canadian display but, fortunately, it did not detract from the show.

For a comprehensive report, more photos, a full video and discussions, please visit Paul Marriott's website, montreal-fireworks.com. Info and comments in French are also available on Mylène Salvas' blog.

The soundtrack of each firework display is broadcast live on local radio station 105,7 FM. To listen the music on the web, click here and select "Radio en direct" on firework nights at 10:00pm Eastern Time.

Text and photos: Frédérick Bastien