Vancouver fireworks kick off Wednesday night

The crowds will return to Vancouver's beaches Wednesday evening for the first of four fireworks shows on the waters of English Bay.

The 2009 HSBC Celebration of Light was officially cancelled in February, but in March organizers announced new sponsors had been found and the event would go ahead.

On event nights, vehicle access into Vancouver's Downtown West End and Kits Point will be limited to residents who can prove residency through car registration or a resident permit parking decal. Taxis, emergency vehicles and valid delivery vehicles will also be allowed access.

The West End will be closed at 7:30 p.m. PT and Kits Point will be closed at 6 p.m.

Motorists who are not residents of the area will need to arrive in advance of the area closures.

Parking for people with disabilities will require a valid disabled person's decal or placard.

Began in 1990

Every summer for the past 19 years, the event has drawn tens of thousands of spectators to Vancouver's downtown West End and Kitsilano neighbourhoods.

It began as the Benson and Hedges Symphony of Fire in July 1990, but when that sponsorship ended in 2001, the City of Vancouver and various other sponsors took over.

With approximately 350,000 to 400,000 spectators for each of the four nights of the show, the event has an estimated economic impact of more than $37 million annually in direct visitor spending.

However, in the past, the large number of unruly revellers has required an expensive police presence, and the leftover trash and noise have drawn many complaints from local residents.