Court order could lead to St. Patrick’s Day arrests for those attending gatherings in Waterloo

The City of Waterloo is cracking down on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the University District by obtaining a court order from the Superior Court of Justice.

The injunction order will be in effect from 12 a.m. on Friday until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, meaning anyone attending, hosting, creating, or sponsoring an unsanctioned street party or violating the city’s nuisance bylaw in the University District could be arrested, detained and held in custody.

That arrest could also lead to charges of disobeying an order of the court, a significantly more severe penalty than tickets issued by bylaw officers in previous years.

The University District of Waterloo includes the Northdale and MacGregor neighbourhoods, as well as Waterloo Park and the majority of the uptown neighbourhood.

It also includes Ezra Avenue, the typical location of the St. Patrick’s Day street party.

In a press release sent out on Monday morning, Waterloo said they hope this action shows students and others that they’re “serious about their safety.”

“We will be increasing our enforcement efforts and police presence in the area to ensure individuals are complying with the injunction,” said Chief Mark Crowell of the Waterloo Regional Police Service. “We want people to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day in a safe and respectful manner that does not cause harm to themselves or others.”

Expensive and hard to manage

Nicole Papke, director of municipal enforcement, city of Waterloo, told 570 NewsRadio these unsanctioned street parties are very difficult to manage.

“Typically lots of people show up and there is only so much crowd control that’s available. But, if there is information provided in advance, we really would hope students may consider celebrating more responsibly.”

Papke said along with the usual preventative measures the city undertakes, signs will be posted warning of the injunction along with a QR code that will link to more information about what the injunction means. She said protecting the safety of those in attendance and the first responders, these efforts are also about protecting the community as a whole.

“It’s a broader issue in terms of the drain on resources and the resources we have to put towards this happening and should something else happen,” Papke said. “Anecdotally, I’m sure that there have been concerns at the hospital when there are 17 acute patients being transported in a very short period of time, that is the bigger challenge.”

A report from Waterloo Regional Police Service shows $318,000 was spent by the force over three days, ranging from March 16 to 17, and extra staffing on the evening of Friday March 15. The biggest expense came from officer overtime, coming in at $195,000.

Papke notes during St. Patrick’s celebrations in 2024, there were 32 calls for service to paramedics who then had to take 17 people to the emergency department.

“When you’re young and you’re wanting to have fun, you don’t think about those broader impacts;” she went on to say the city’s intention isn’t to limit anybody’s fun but to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

She reiterated this move really is all about safety.