The Canadian Fireworks Association / L'Association Canadiene de Pyrotechnie
is proud to announce that it is holding its first Summit Meeting on November
6th, 2004.

This organzation was founded in April 2004 and this first full meeting
is a chance to establish the direction we will take into the future. We
aim to represent *everyone* who has any dealings with fireworks in
Canada, from part-time shooters, full-time display companies all the
way to the regulators themselves. Amongst the many topics for discussion,
we will be striving to establish an annual convention, similar in style
to the PGI.

Full details of the meeting can be found at:

http://canadianfireworks.org/2004.html

A registration form, accomodation details and directions can be downloaded:

http://canadianfireworks.org/Summit2004.pdf

Memberships will be available at the meeting too.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the meeting.

Green regards,

Paul Marriott

President - Canadian Fireworks Association
http://www.canadianfireworks.org

One question, this has nothing to do with the topic, but what do you mean when you say "Green regards"? Is that an expression?

Trav.

It is a reference to the "Green Man" of the middle ages. There is more information about this at http://pgi.org/PGIhistgreen.htm

Fireworkers often say to each other "stay green" or "green regards" as a reference to this historical protective figure.

Cheers,

Paul.

That'st pretty cool!

That's something I've never considered. Hmm...perhaps I should now say green regards to fellow enthusiasts! Thx, Paul.

Green regards,

Trav.

The first Canadian Fireworks Association Summit meeting, held this past
6th November marked a turning point in the evolution of the Association.

Hailed as a success, we attracted one third of the current CFA membership
to travel from as far and as wide as Montreal, Alberta and New Mexico to
attend the meeting. Those attendees who were not 2004 members were
given a special pro-rated membership for the remainder of the year,
increasing the total to the point where the CFA is now the largest
fireworks organization in Canada. This is an excellent achievement and I
want to personally thank everyone involved for making this happen. The
idea of this organization was first mooted at the 7th International
Symposium on Fireworks, held in Valencia in October 2003; following a
presentation of the idea to the Canadian Pyrotechnics Council just a year
ago, the founding meeting was held in April 2004. Now we are proud to
be at the point where we are the largest such organization in the country.

The board meeting determined a new membership structure for 2005. The
following types of memberships are now available:

o Corporate - $250 per year (US$250 for Foreign)
This allows up to 4 representatives from the company at CFA events
1 vote in CFA elections and resolutions
1 listing in the CFA Yellow Pages
Full access to the members' area of the CFA website
1/4 page advert in the CFA newsletter (B&W)
CFA Event discounts

o Full or Foreign Full - $50 per year (US$50 for Foreign)
1 vote in CFA elections and resolutions
Newsletter with free classified advert space (up to 20 words)
Personal listing in the CFA Yellow Pages
Full access to the members' area of the CFA website
CFA Event discounts

o Associate or Foreign Associate - $25 per year (US$25 for Foreign)
CFA Event discounts
Limited access to the members' area of the CFA website
No Newsletter or Yellow Pages listing or voting priviledges

o Newsletter Only - $25 per year (US$25 for Foreign)
Mailed copy of the CFA Newsletter (published at least quarterly)
No discount on CFA Events
No Yellow Pages listing or voting privilidges

Plans for the next Summit meeting to be held in March 2005 were discussed.
The location still has to be finalized but it will most probably be in the
Montreal area. The first full CFA convention will be held in 2006 and this
is now in the planning stage. We intend to hold at least two meetings per
year.

Due to the dispersed geography of our members, we will be forming regional
chapters. We have a volunteer to establish such a chapter in Alberta and
are looking for people to take the same role in other areas. It is planned
that the regional coordinators of each chapter will have a voice in the CFA
board of directors.

Following the board of directors meeting, we were treated to many interesting
presentations. Sean Morris, Bill Comfort and Patrice Guy gave a fascinating
video presentation of the recent National Day display they fired in Hong Kong
this past October. The size of this show was simply awe-inspiring and the
behind-the-scenes work to put it all together was astounding. The highlight
of the presentation was a DVD of the display itself.

Darren Naud of DMD Systems (and Los Alamos labs) made three excellent
presentations about some new state-of-the-art materials for use in
low-smoke pyrotechnics, impact and friction insensitive e-matches
and high colour-purity stars. Some of the compounds discussed have a
very positive formation energy (which means energy is taken in when
they are formed). These are typically high-nitrogen compounds and function
as fuel, oxidizer and, with an appropriate metal salt/complex, colouring
agent all-in-one. Due to the high nitrogen content, very little smoke is
produced and the lack of black-body radiation on burning results in very
pure colours, especially compared to traditional materials. Darren's
work on MIC compounds (Metastable Intermolecular Composite, using nano-scale
particles of aluminium and certain metal oxides) shows great
promise in the production of impact and friction insensitive e-matches,
as well as removing the need to use the environmentally unfriendly lead
compounds currently used. So insensitive are the new e-matches (and
relatively easier and safer to manufacture) that it seems possible that
shells could be safely shipped with the e-matches already inserted.
The friction insensitivity would also remove one of the biggest
causes of accidents currently: removal of an e-match from the shell
leader by pulling it out. Darren's final presentation was on another set
of compounds used for low-smoke indoor pyrotechnic applications based on
nitrocellulose and nitroguanidine. One advantage of this new system,
apart from the low smoke produced, is safety in manufacture.

Other interesting presentations were made and the formal part of
the meeting closed with a discussion on procedures for hobbyists in
Canada due to the upcoming changes in the explosives regulations to
allow legal hobbyists (both fireworks and amateur rocketry). A hobbyist
comittee will be established to further work on this aspect since
a peer-review system of licencing is the model that is being proposed.

The meeting closed with a 6 1/2 minute PyroDigital display designed
by yours truly and made possible with generous donations from:

o Royal Pyrotechnie (Donated spanish shells and some other products)
o Garden City Display Fireworks (Mortars and PyroDigital equipment)
o montreal-fireworks.com (covered the insurance)
o Mystical Distributing (Consumer fireworks used for a special sequence)
o Bill Comfort (Special effects and fireballs)
o Les Soleils de Minuit (Cash donation)
o Method Innovation Corporation (cash donation)
o Wizard's Den (Cash donation)
o Darrel Fiss (Cash donation)
o Raytech Animation (e-matches and cash donation)
o Paul Marriott (transport)
o Sean Morris (transport and Spanish shell)

Thanks to everyone who helped setup the display. Despite it being November,
we had perfect weather, warm (relatively) dry, clear skies and little wind.

For those who were unable to attend, Bill Raynault is producing a DVD/VHS of
the meeting, including the display for $20. All profits will go to the CFA.

Thank you to everyone who attended and made the event a resounding success!

Stay green,

Paul.

President - Canadian Fireworks Association
http://www.canadianfireworks.org

Paul,

An in-depth analysis.

As you say, the weather seemed to have cooperated, the way I see the scenario at the time. That's prettygood for November climate!

Anayways, I wish I could've seen it! Although it would've felt weird to see a display at this time of year!

Trav.