The party in Guelph is over — but the problems it caused are now hanging over future homecoming festivities at other Ontario universities.
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it → cause → universities
The mayhem during the University of Guelph’s homecoming weekend — splashed all over social media — which sent dozens to hospital and saw police send in their tactical unit, has prompted calls to step up efforts to deter unsanctioned events that mar celebrations for students and alumni.
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that → splash → students
Community leaders are urging everything from more proactive outreach to promote positive partying and possible disciplinary measures if not, to more co-ordination among cities, police and schools.
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leaders → urge → cities
Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie has said in the past he has proposed charging university students mandatory fees to cover the extra costs the municipality faces for safety, security and clean-up.
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municipality → say → safety
One Guelph student, who is now running for city council, said universities with homecoming traditions need to hold events on the same weekends to prevent students from travelling to different campuses to party, boosting crowds.
“This particular year was unlike anything that we’ve ever seen,” said Michael Agueci, who was out Sunday with other students and residents cleaning up.
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students → run → that
Ontario Greens Leader Mike Schreiner, the MPP for Guelph, said he’s “deeply disappointed that some people acted in an inappropriate way that really put people’s safety at risk” and flooded the local hospital with so many injured and intoxicated partiers that care for other patients was compromised.
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care → say → patients
Local businesses also suffered damage.
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businesses → suffer → damage
Off-campus parties plagued by drunken violence have been a recurring theme this fall as schools reopened their doors.
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schools → plague → doors
Police, school officials and
Off-campus parties plagued by drunken violence have been a recurring theme this fall as schools reopened their doors.
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schools → plague → doors
“I think the university is going to look at not only how do we protect public safety, but how do we prevent something like this from ever happening again,” he said.
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he → think → this
While homecoming, which students often refer to as HoCo, has always posed challenges for schools — with street parties, excessive public drinking and property damage alongside the sanctioned sporting events or concerts — attendees said what happened Saturday at Guelph was shocking.
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happened → refer → Guelph
One second-year student, who travelled from Waterloo to Guelph with a few buddies, said the chaos started after someone threw a beer can and “next thing you know, you have hundreds of people participating in this street war where people were grabbing anything and everything they could and throwing it at people.”
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they → travel → people
The Star agreed not to publish the student’s name.
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Star → agree → name
He saw “people go into the woods and come back with logs just to throw at people ...
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people → see → people
I saw a girl get hit in the head with a glass Corona (beer) bottle, and she was bleeding.
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she → see → bottle
She had to get stitches.
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She → have → stitches
I saw somebody quite literally pick up a rock and just throw it into the crowd.
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somebody → see → crowd
“I didn’t think it would become what it did,” said the student, who added that in Waterloo the crackdown on parties made things “a lot tamer” there this year.
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things → think → parties
Simply cancelling homecoming won’t work, because students just organize their own fake or faux homecoming, also known as “FoCo,” where all activities are unsanctioned and become even more unpredictable, added Agueci, a fifth-year student, who said he’d like to see zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour from police from the outset.
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he → cancel → outset
In 2020, the city of Waterloo produced a report on large street gatherings that had become “a significant concern” — in particular around St. Patrick’s Day and homecoming at Wilfrid Laurier — noting the strain on police, fire, paramedics, bylaw enforcement and hospitals.
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that → produce → police
It noted Laurier, Waterloo U and Conestoga College have information campaigns for students on the perils of large street gatherings and alcohol and substance abuse, as well as a city/police pilot project using CCTV cameras, increased ticketing and even injunctions to stop street parties.
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Laurier → note → parties
It also has tougher nuisance bylaws including a “roofing” infraction to prevent rooftop parties.
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It → have → parties
It said Laurier works with others to co-ordinate homecoming dates — this year, it was the same date as Guelph and Western — and that there have been discussions about extra student fees to cover costs, as well as asking the province for funding.
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it → say → funding
This year, McMaster University in Hamilton worked with campus safety, police, and bylaw enforcement and did “a lot of proactive communication” with the help of the student union to promote being a good neighbour, said Sean Van Koughnett, associate vice-president of students.
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Koughnett → work → students
Students are also informed of the cost of bylaw infractions, where fines can reach $10,000.
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fines → inform → 10,000
“Anytime you get a big crowd like that, things can go off the rails,” he said, adding “I think some credit has to also go to our students for our homecoming,” which saw no arrests and just three bylaw infractions.
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which → get → arrests
He said the school organized a sold-out concert, football game and other activities, including food trucks, to keep students on campus for as long as possible.
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school → say → campus
However, he added, “understanding that no matter what we do, students live in the neighbourhood and they’re going to want to be on the street at some point, or going home, and that’s where were really depend on our city partners, bylaw and the police, to manage things,” in particular with clearing out street gatherings before they balloon.
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they → add → gatherings
Guelph’s Mayor Guthrie said he’s worked with “other mayors across the province that have universities and colleges that experience this type of thing,” seeking some provincial help or oversight.
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that → say → help
Bianca Giacoboni, spokesperson for Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn, said in a statement to the Star “the behaviour exhibited in Guelph this past weekend was unacceptable and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.
“We strongly encourage all of our institutions to work alongside local police services and community authorities to establish proactive safety measures for community events.”
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We → say → events
Guelph U president Rene Van Acker said in an online post that there is “extensive planning and co-ordination throughout the year,” but dealing with unsanctioned parties “requires a new response and a renewed approach.”
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dealing → say → response
Schools like the University of Toronto don’t have strong homecoming traditions (it hosts an “alumni reunion” in the spring), but for those that do — including Western, Queen’s and the upcoming Panda Game between the University of Ottawa and Carleton — all also host numerous on-campus activities.
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all → have → activities
Queen’s, which has struggled in the past with out-of-control street parties, has its homecoming after Thanksgiving.
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which → struggle → Thanksgiving
Kingston’s University District Safety Initiative includes bylaws and potential fines of up to $2,000 for “nuisance” parties in the surrounding student living area, noise infractions or for open liquor, and students can face non-academic misconduct charges.
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students → include → charges
Before Western’s homecoming last weekend, staff and bylaw officers went door-to-door “to ensure students who live in the area understand their responsibilities as renters and the risks of hosting large parties,” the university told the Star.
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university → go → Star
Laurier’s homecoming last weekend had no large unsanctioned parties; the school hired private security, installed fencing and banned guests in residences.
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school → have → residences
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