Police are confident Laurier Homecoming 2019 saw fewer attendees than last year (4 photos)

Ezra Avenue has once again become the scene of another large-scale unsanctioned street party, as throngs of people came to celebrate Wilfrid Laurier University's Homecoming 2019.

This time, the City of Waterloo was more than prepared. This year's homecoming event was the testing grounds for new pilot initiatives aimed at controlling the massive crowds.

After homecoming attendees dispersed, Waterloo Regional Police Constable Andre Johnson said at a news conference that he was “fairly confident” there was a “significant decrease in peak attendance.”

“We don't have numbers right at this moment, but we have been encouraged by what we have seen so far,” said Johnson.

Last year's event saw around 14,000 people at its peak, with 462 charges laid by WRPS. Over 300 were charges under the Liquor Licence Act.

As of Saturday, police have confirmed four arrests related to homecoming: an obstruction charge related to a house party, and some breach charges.

They also had multiple reports of revellers partying on the roofs of buildings, all of whom came down without incident.

According to Deputy Chief of the Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services Jim Topham, they – along with St. John's Ambulance – saw 14 patients. Most were alcohol-abuse related and one medical call involved a minor fall.

Director of Municipal Enforcement Services Shayne Turner said more numbers and details will be available Tuesday, October 2, but he felt they were successful in reducing the “party atmosphere.”

“There's still work to do, and the task force is going to continue to do that work,” said Turner. “Really the focus, I believe, is going to be on two or three more years of work by that group.”

Meanwhile, people attending homecoming events certainly felt the effects of the city's efforts. Laurier students were back-and-forth on whether the increase in police presence and security dampened the “good vibes.”

“Quieter crowd, but it's more relaxed, less hectic and stuff like that, from last year,” Laurier student Jaeden Ward said. “That's a good thing because I'm not really a fan of the whole, like, craziness of Laurier.”

“It's been pretty chill,” said Shantelle Matose, a volunteer giving out water and Timbits. Matose is with City Impact run by the Slate Church in Waterloo.  “Everyone is super thankful that we're here. We get a lot of 'I love you's' that's for sure.”

The homecoming crowds were mostly contained to Ezra Ave., barely spilling out onto side streets. It was still a jovial sea of purple and gold, with many donning silly outfits and taking chances with open alcohol. Others felt less enthused.

Jeremy Downey, a Laurier student, said he felt the city was uptight and even took issue with the reaction surrounding the bonfire lit on Ezra Ave in early September.

“'Oh God, we lit a little bonfire in the streets. We're horrible people, holy! Like, it's just little fire. It's on the streets, no one got hurt, no one got burned. It was fine.”

Despite messaging from Regional Police and Laurier, there was still a section of the student body that didn't understand why all the precautions were brought in. Some students figured it was to keep them off the grass due to all the mud that that was created during St. Patrick's Day celebrations this year. According to them, they never got any message. Others admitted they haven't checked their emails.

Police and private security teams dotted the landscape in florescent yellow jackets, as they supervised partygoers. Police officers were stationed on top of scaffolding within crowd management pods. Areas were erected along the street to provide dumpsters and portable toilets in hopes to cut down on litter and public urination. According to cleaners picking up trash, the litter was much more manageable compared to last year.

Along certain sections of the street were fences, brought in by the university and some landlords, to keep revellers out.

“They seem scary. A bit strict. Like with the no guests. We all have wristbands to get into our building,” Adelle Klassen said. “I think the precaution is a bit excessive. I mean, I understand why.”

The wristband policy was to help limit crowds within buildings, but according to a security guard, forgeries were in the crowds. Not well-done forgeries, as original wristbands were made of plastic as opposed to paper. Another added feature was the wristbands had student ID numbers written on them, meaning whoever provided their wristbands to be copied may be on the hook for any complaints.

Overall, the party atmosphere was much less than people had expected from the reputation Ezra Avenue has built. Various people could be seen carrying cameras and microphones, aside from media, hoping to boost their social media presence by attending homecoming.

Joey Alford is a freelance videographer based in Waterloo and was capturing footage of the unsanctioned street party. He was hired by CanadianPartyLife, an Instagram account known for documenting and featuring videos of campus party culture and its wildest moments.

“They definitely don't keep it G-rated all the time, but yeah, they like to have some fun for sure,” said Alford.

He explains that the group makes money by selling merchandise with their branding, and showed off a flag they were selling. A number of people on Ezra Avenue were seen wearing the flag as a cape.

After the Laurier Golden Hawks dominated the game over Queen's and students had their fill of partying on Ezra, the crowds died down and finally dispersed.

While Regional Police and community partners were feeling positive about how the day went, homecoming was the just the testing grounds for their pilot initiatives. Next year's St. Patrick's Day celebrations will be the proving grounds to see if the city can finally reign in the crowds on Ezra Avenue.