University of Waterloo to use new emergency system as students return to campus

With students returning to campus this week, the University of Waterloo says they will be using a new alert system going forward.

The university will be retiring the Watsafe app and replacing it with Regroup Mobile. The school made the announcement back in July and comes following the one-year anniversary of the stabbing attack at Hagey Hall in June 2023.

In a video post on the university’s YouTube page, Vivek Goel, the president and vice chancellor of the University of Waterloo, said challenges like political divides and global conflicts have impacted the university community over the spring.

“The past spring brought its own difficulties,” said Goel.

“From marking the anniversary of the attack on Hagey Hall to the debates surrounding recent campus protests. I know not everyone agrees with how these situations were handled, but what I saw throughout was the strength of our community.”

Students called for a better alert system last year following the attack on Hagey Hall.

The new app is expected to go online on October 1.