The skies over a Toronto park lit up one day before Canada Day celebrations with drones delivering a quiet pre-show instead of traditional fireworks, prompting mixed reactions online.
On the night of June 30, pet owners gathered at Garrison Commons in Fort York to experience #ReclaimTheSkies, a silent drone show designed specifically with animals and inclusive celebrations in mind.
The pet-friendly campaign, organized by Pets Plus Us, reimagined the red and white holiday through an animal’s eyes, offering pet owners accessible and more “humane ways to celebrate” the Canadian anniversary.
“The drone show is about more than just fireworks — it’s about reimagining tradition through empathy, safety, and shared joy,” Jamie Maxfield, marketing director at Pet Plus Us said in a news release.
More than 400 people attended the show with their pets, which featured a sea of drones forming a vibrant choreographed display of Canadian and pet-themed designs, including cats, the Canadian flag, and custom images of pets submitted by fur guardians in the weeks leading up to the event.
Pets Plus Us tells Now Toronto that its drone show received positive feedback, with guests expressing their gratitude for the events consideration of their pets’ needs.
With 68 per cent of cats and 67 per cent of dogs showing signs of fear or anxiety when they hear fireworks, and a similar number of pet guardians voicing concern, the organization sought to find ways to address the long-standing issue.
“Celebration should never come at the cost of our pets’ well-being,” Maxfield added.
The organization hopes that the campaign will spark a shift toward more inclusive planning for pets as pet ownership grows across the country, with 58 per cent of households in Canada owning a cat or dog.
“Pets Plus Us believes true inclusion means more than bringing pets along — it means creating experiences built for them. When plans start with them in mind, everyone benefits – pets are calmer, moments richer, and our bond with them grows stronger,” according to the news release.
Meanwhile, the City of Toronto says it’s considering more drone shows for the future. The city tells Now Toronto that it was recently awarded five-year contracts for firework presentations and drone shows, according to an email statement on Wednesday.
Additionally, the city says there are currently no plans to replace city-produced firework displays, but the spokesperson says drone shows are being explored as an additional visual performance element for select events.
While the city explores the possibility of future drone shows, the drone displays sparked conversation online about the use of traditional fireworks, with some expressing their excitement for the new light show.
“I love fireworks but my dog having a full-blown panic attack when she hears them, she shakes violently and running out of breath. I don’t mind stepping into a new age and replacing fireworks with something as spectacular but less noisy and dangerous,” one Reddit user said.
“I’m all for drone shows over fireworks! They did a great job of making them look like fireworks and “sparkle” at certain points,” a Reddit user said.
“Way better than fireworks. Fireworks just attract bad behaviour and are horrible for the environment,” another user commented.
Others expressed their thoughts about the non-conventional celebratory style, along with ways to make future drone shows more lively.
“Drone shows can be interesting… but it’s not a replacement for fireworks,” one Redditor chimed in.
“It was cool, but it was a drone show. I don’t know why drone shows have to be promoted as a replacement for fireworks. Drone shows are drone shows and fireworks are fireworks,” another user said.
“Drone shows can look amazing but need way more drones to make it look nice,” another Reddit user added.
