An executive with McMaster University says he and staff will be “in the neighborhoods” Thursday reminding off-campus students about their responsibilities ahead of a week that could see unsanctioned street parties.
Associate vice-president and dean of students Sean Van Koughnett says the university has been coordinating with Hamilton police and city bylaw officers to prepare for potential homecoming parties that typically happen this time of year.
“We make our best efforts, in collaboration with our student union, to get the message out to students to try to discourage their attendance at these things,” Van Koughnett explained.
“The day of, it’s really around the planning that bylaw and Hamilton police have put in place to try to manage the situation.”
Last October police and bylaw officers were kept busy dispersing crowds at several “nuisance parties” on Dalewood Avenue, Gary Avenue and even part of Main Street West which briefly blocked traffic just before midnight due to an unsanctioned gathering.
Police say nine people were arrested and 16 bylaw charges were issued after some 6,000 people gathered in the Westdale and Ainslie Woods neighbourhoods near McMaster University.
The so-called “fake homecoming” events have been an issue across the city in recent years forcing council to step up zero-tolerance bylaws last September in an effort to crack down on parties in the university district.
Public drunkenness and urination, property damage, excessive noise, obstructing traffic, illegal open burning and illegal use of fireworks are among the activities used to define a nuisance party within the city.
In 2021, up to 5,000 people gathered on the city’s west side with reports of overturned vehicles and property damage forcing police and fire department to deploy units in and around the several events.
Van Koughnett concedes it’s difficult for the university on its own to control the matter since the outings typically draw students from other learning facilities as well as non-students.
He says the gatherings are often spurred on in social media and some websites that don’t bear any of the responsibility for what happens.
“We’re trying to dissuade as many students as possible from going, but inevitably, there will be some people that elect to go and that would be a little disappointing but I can’t say it’s unexpected,” Van Koughnett said.
Dan Smith, manager of licensing and bylaw services municipal law enforcement (MLE), and Hamilton police will be teaming up and be visible in western communities around the university with a zero tolerance “District Safety Initiative” now in effect.
“MLE has staff scheduled to be present in the Westdale and Ainslie Wood areas to monitor for and respond to occurrences that may occur through unsanctioned events and gatherings,” Smith confirmed.
Both MLE and police have the authority to disperse large gatherings and ability to charge hosts, property owners, or attendees resulting in fines up to $10,000 for a first offence and $25,000 for subsequent offences.
The phenomenon is not unique to Hamilton. Last year Ottawa police handed out some 100 tickets for open alcohol and seven people were arrested, including for public intoxication and mischief.
A week before, police in London, Ont., issued more than 200 charges over two days of an unsanctioned street event in the wake of Western University’s homecoming football game. However, this year’s festivities in London, which brought out an estimated 10,000 people to Broughdale Avenue this past weekend, came and went with few serious off-campus incidents, according to police.
Large crowds forced the temporary closure of several roads at times, including Broughdale Avenue and Epworth Avenue, in order to ensure safety.
“Later into the night, members of the crowd threw projectiles, including cans and bottles, toward both our officers and police vehicles and demonstrated other acts of violence,” Insp. Ryan Scrivens said.
“Some members of the crowd damaged property including a police vehicle, removed street signs and trees from the ground, and several partygoers were observed jumping from rooftops.”
Hamilton police along with officers from other cities, including York and Windsor were brought in to help keep the London parties under control.
McMaster hasn’t hosted a sanctioned homecoming since 2019 and Van Koughnett says they have considered bringing them back in a possible effort to curtail bad behavior.
However, investments by Western to host on-campus events this year had little effect on the numbers that took to London streets for unsanctioned parties.
“So my personal opinion is that it really doesn’t have an impact on the size of the street party,” Van Koughnett assumes.
“It’s one of those things where you can hold events on campus and the minute it pulls them down, there are after-parties.”
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