'Enjoy responsibly': Police, universities warn against large gatherings ahead of Homecoming weekend
Students and alumni from Waterloo's post-secondary institutions are asked to avoid large, unsanctioned gatherings this Homecoming weekend.
"Please enjoy responsibly," police Chief Bryan Larkin said a press conference on Friday morning. "We have a vibrant Uptown Waterloo. We want to contribute to small businesses. There are numerous licensed that will certainly welcome you and you'll be able to go in and have fun in a controlled, safe environment."
Larkin said the police service has an operational plan in place and they've already enacted some "unique measures" like fencing to try to limit unsanctioned gatherings this year.
This year, Ezra Avenue is completely closed, as is Bricker Avenue.
"Please do your part as a good citizen," Larkin said.
Ezra Avenue has been fenced off ahead of Homecoming weekend. (Nicole Lampa/CTV News)
Larkin said it's important for people not to gather this weekend to help prevent further spread of COVID-19.
"We want to ensure that we don't overburden our current public health-care system," he said. "The reality is that all public safety agencies are dealing with significant call demand and we want to ensure that we're prepared and ready to respond elsewhere in the region, and not addressing unlawful or unsanctioned events."
Ivan Joseph, vice president of student affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University, said he understands students are excited to be back after months in isolation amid the pandemic.
"Ninety-nine per cent of them want to be in the right, safe community way and they want to be connected to our campus," he said. "They want to go back to restaurants and movies theatres, they want to celebrate in a safe and responsible way."
However, Joseph said there is a small group who "don't care about the rules."
"We have things in place that will make sure that we can hold those sorts of people accountable," he said. "That's not the kind of community we want to build."
According to Joseph, the university doesn't want to punish and shame people as a first step, but students could face suspension or expulsion if they aren't following the rules.
"After you get past that education, there has to be accountability and sanctions, and sometimes those sanctions can escalate all the way to mean you're just not ready to be a member of our community," he said.
Some Waterloo Region university residence have no trespassing signs up for Homecoming weekend. (Nicole Lampa/CTV Kitchener)
There will be several university events this weekend, including a pancake breakfast and a football game limited to 900 fans in the stands.
Joseph said they've increased their special constable service for the weekend as well to help with any enforcement.
Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said she wants people to understand that gathering in unsafe ways is risky for the people themselves, along with the community as a whole. She encouraged people to consider smaller outdoor gatherings, or virtual celebrations, for Homecoming weekend.
With files from CTV Kitchener's Nicole Lampa.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.