By Gen Handley
Even after nearly three decades in the fireworks industry, Patrick Brault says theres always more to learn.
Its always changing and its all from experience, the president of Sirius Pyrotechnics says from his office in Dorval, Que. You start from the bottom and work your way up. Ive been doing this for more than 20 years and Im still learning theres always something new to know or learn.
Originally a stage technician and lighting designer for theatre, a young Brault was asked by a friend to work at the International Fireworks Festival in Montreal in 1985 and hes never looked back.
Since then, he has created hundreds of firework shows around the world, including the Vancouver Olympics and the upcoming 22nd Honda Celebration of Light taking place on July 28, Aug. 1 and Aug. 4. Sirius Pyrotechnics is the company managing the show that includes the countries of Vietnam, Brazil and Italy competing with intricate fireworks displays, choreographed to a musical soundtrack played over a local FM station.
The background of English Bay makes Vancouver one of the most beautiful settings in the world to watch fireworks from, says Brault, who has also been an artistic and a technical director for the Celebration of Light in the past. Its the largest offshore (fireworks) competition in the world and that makes it very exciting.
While it can take up to 10 days to set up an event, Brault says that with the Celebration of Light, it will require three days per country with a crew of 12 people working 10 hours each day.
The process is a mix of artistry, technology and chemistry with a significant amount of multitasking and management involved.
This includes organizing the mortars (aka guns) according to the layout plans for each country, installing computerized igniters to the fireworks and installing the software that controls how and when the fireworks are fired off. The colours of the fireworks are dependent on the temperature of the explosion and the types of components used. For example, barium chloride is used for the colour green, copper chloride for the colour blue and titanium or aluminum for white.
So what does it take to be a fireworks expert?
You need to be able to multi-task but also not take anything for granted, Brault explains. Your safety is everybody elses responsibility and everybody elses safety is your responsibility.
For more information on the Honda Celebration of Light, visit HondaCelebrationOfLight.com.
