Waterloo, Ont. is taking action to crack down on unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day street parties.
The city has been granted an injunction by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice permitting officers to the arrest, detain or charge anyone who violates the nuisance bylaw in the university district between March 14 at 12 a.m. to March 17 at 11:59 p.m.
Officials are calling the court injunction a new tool in addressing street parties that have once again been growing after a two year lull during the pandemic.
Waterloo Regional Police say their hopes is that with the injunction in place, they will be able to stop the street parties before they really begin.
“What it does is that it almost allows us to prevent [the party] from happening,” said Jen Davis, deputy chief for the Waterloo Regional Police Service. “Now, instead of it being a bylaw ticket, they can actually be charged criminally with breach of a court order. So there’s a higher jeopardy for that... It’s meant to really educate and encourage people to disperse, not actually allow the street gathering or unsanctioned events to happen in the first place.”
The injunction also applies to parties at people’s homes, if they meet the criteria of a ‘nuisance party,’ which, under Waterloo’s bylaw, includes things like public intoxication, unreasonable noise or other disturbances.
Officials are calling the court injunction the next step in addressing what has become a decade-long issue.
Persistent problem
In 2014, a sanctioned St. Patrick’s Day party was held on Seagram Drive for students at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. The tent could fit 3,000, but an estimated 4,000 showed up for the event, which spilled over onto Ezra Avenue.
About 8,000 people turned out for the party in 2015 and the Waterloo Regional Police Service said 241 charges were laid, mostly under the Liquor License Act.
Attendance swelled over the following years, from 15,000 in 2017 to 22,400 in 2018.
The biggest event was in 2019, when 33,000 people filled Ezra Avenue. Police said the event cost the city, emergency services and the universities $286,000.
The pandemic stopped big public gatherings in both 2020 and 2021, but they returned again in 2022 and have grown again in size each year.
In 2024, officials tried a new tactic – installing closed circuit cameras around the university district – but it did not impact turnout. An estimated 9,500 people participated in the event, 257 charges were laid and 10 people were arrested. The cost of the party was estimated at $318,000.
Court injunction
In past years, anyone participating in the unsanctioned street party could be ticketed or fined.
“There are now additional significant legal consequences for gathering,” Nicole Papke, the city’s director of municipal enforcement, said in Monday’s media release. “We hope that this shows students and others that we are serious about their safety. We want to emphasize how important it is to the city and the community that they find other ways to celebrate responsibly without tying up crucial public safety resources.”
The injunction also applies to parties at people’s homes, as long as it meets the criteria of a nuisance party. That can include anything from public intoxication, unreasonable noise or other disturbances.
“We want people to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day in a safe and respectful manner that does not cause harm to themselves or others,” added Mark Crowell, chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service. “We ask that those celebrating do so in a licensed, legal establishment and not on a street where the potential for disruptive and dangerous situations may arise.”
The new court injunction covers any parties in the Northdale and MacGregor neighbourhoods, the south part of Sugarbush, Waterloo Park and most of the uptown area.
Student reaction
Students had mixed reaction to news of the court injunction.
“From what I’ve seen, I think that we’re pretty responsible,” said university student Rylan Hermans. “But there’s always a chance that things can happen. So maybe some safety is good, but I think this is a little extreme.”
Others were unconvinced it would dissuade potential partiers.
“It’s not going to stop people,” said university student Ethan Thompson.
Getting the word out
The city said they’ll be putting up signs around the university district warning students of the consequences of defying the court order.
“This is not meant to take away from their ability to celebrate,” Davis said. “We’re just asking them to celebrate in licensed establishments where we can try and ensure the safety of our entire community that’s impacted, as well as the students.”
Waterloo isn’t the first city to pursue a court injunction for unsanctioned parties. Hamilton has also taken the same approach, but they never ended up issuing any tickets, fines or charges.
