Mayor calls out 'hooliganism' at Kitchener park on Victoria Day
Kitchener’s mayor has strong words for what happened in and around Victoria Park on Monday night, calling it reckless hooliganism, unsafe and violent behaviour, and a significant risk to public safety.
The scary scene unfolded on Victoria Day, with a large group of young people shooting fireworks at each other, as well as bystanders, animals, by-law officers and police.
“I was both very disappointed and very angry,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic told CTV News on Wednesday. “There seemed to be a total disregard for the safety of others.”
Waterloo Regional Police said one teen was arrested and charged with assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
There were no serious injuries reported, but the mayor said there will be further discussions involving city bylaw, property standards and security staff internally, as well as meetings with community safety partners, and in particular, Waterloo Regional Police.
While the mayor said it’s still too early to propose solutions, working with the school boards will likely be a component, given the age of those involved.
“Making young people understand that… as a community, we need to look out for each other and make sure it’s a great community for everyone,” Vrbanovic explained.
Adding to the concerns is the fact a similar incident happened on Victoria Day 2023, and Canada Day is just six weeks away.
Councillor Debbie Chapman said it’s important to address the situation quickly, given how many people live in close proximity to Victoria Park.
She also received numerous messages from residents as the situation unfolded on Monday.
“People were scared, right, they didn’t know what might transpire… or what might become of the activity that was going on around them,” Chapman explained.
Her constituents told her they were concerned it could become a recurring event, like the St. Patrick’s Day street parties in Waterloo’s university district, and want it addressed quickly before that happens.
Chapman said it’s likely there will be more bylaw and police enforcement in Victoria Park this year for Canada Day celebrations.
“This is people’s homes and people need to be able to feel safe.”
Chapman expects a staff report on the Victoria Day incident will be available in a couple of weeks, and discussions can go from there.
People running down a Kitchener street and shooting fireworks on May 21, 2024. (Source: Harold Russell/Facebook)
One other Kitchener city councillor, however, said it might be time to look at an outright fireworks ban.
Councillor Paul Singh has advocated for restricting firework displays to city-coordinated designated sites when Kitchener was making changes to its fireworks bylaw last year, and is even more supportive of the decision after Monday’s events.
Singh hopes there will be compliance with the bylaw and respect on Canada Day and Diwali later this year, but said if the rules aren’t followed and people’s safety and property are at risk, a ban is the necessary next step.
The City of Woodstock recently decided to back a fireworks ban. They said there were too many people not following the rules around setting off fireworks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Calls for change to B.C.'s child protection system after disturbing case of neglect
Is B.C.'s child protection system outdated and in need of a major overhaul? The province's representative for children and youth believes so, and that 'a new model' is needed.
Ont. mother loses $6K during Facebook marketplace transaction
An Ontario woman is sharing her story after she lost $6,000 by clicking a fraudulent link disguised to look like an e-transfer during a Facebook Marketplace transaction.
Rapper Travis Scott arrested for disorderly intoxication, trespassing early Thursday
American rapper Travis Scott, whose legal name is Jacques Bermon Webster, was arrested and booked into Miami-Dade County Jail early Thursday morning, county jail records show.
Manitoba hit with five tornadoes last week
Tornado season entered Manitoba with a bang last week.
Train collision in Chile kills at least 2 people and injures 9 others
At least two people were killed and nine others injured Thursday when a train full of passengers collided head-on with another train on a test run just outside the capital of Chile, where fatal railway crashes remain rare.
Senators approve bill to fight foreign interference after voting down amendment
The Senate has passed a government bill intended to help deter, investigate and punish foreign interference.
Gunman in Toronto shooting was not evil, but 'broken' by fraud dispute: wife
The wife of the gunman in Monday's double murder-suicide in North York says she doesn't consider her husband an evil person, but one who was 'broken' by a lengthy fraud dispute that saw their family savings drained.
Illegally brewed liquor kills at least 34 with dozens hospitalized in southern India
At least 34 people have died and dozens hospitalized after drinking illegally brewed liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, local media reported on Thursday.
Heat warnings blanket the east and in Northwest Territories; humidex temperatures push the mid-40s
Heat warnings blanket Canada's eastern corridor Thursday as the year's first major heat wave drags on, and even parts of Northwest Territories are feeling the burn.