5 arrested, 10 provincial offence notices issued during unsanctioned parties near McMaster: police

Five people were arrested and 10 provincial offence notices were issued during a series of "unsanctioned street parties" in the Westdale and Ainslie Woods neighbourhoods near McMaster University on Saturday, Hamilton police said.

Provincial offence notices include tickets, parking infractions, or a summons to attend court.

The parties were unofficial "homecoming" celebrations similar to those at other post-secondary schools, such as recent parties in Halifax and London, Ont.

Hamilton Paramedic Service also responded to 10 calls for service and two individuals were transported for public intoxication, police said in a news release.

Jackie Penman, spokesperson for the police service, told CBC Hamilton on Monday that of the five people arrested, two were charged.

Penman said two women, ages 19 and 20, were charged with assault level 1.

According to police, there were between 8,000 and 9,000 people gathered in the west end neighbourhoods at the peak of the unsanctioned parties.

"Joining forces with the city, McMaster University, and our first responder partners allowed us to mitigate the adverse effects of unauthorized street gatherings," Supt. Dave Hennick said in the release. "Ensuring the safety and well-being of the community is a collective responsibility."

In mid-September, the City of Hamilton enacted its nuisance party bylaw to address large unsanctioned gatherings that are or could become a public nuisance resulting in unreasonable noise, damage or destruction of property, public drunkenness or disorderly conduct or several other factors.

The city says it is a contravention of the bylaw to host, attend, permit, continue or refuse to leave an area, once it has been declared a nuisance.

An individual charged under the bylaw, including a host or attendee, could face up to $10,000 for a first offence. Police did not say Sunday what kind of fines were handed out this weekend.

"Our teams were able to safely manage crowds in the Westdale and Ainslie neighbourhoods this weekend," acting director, Licensing and Bylaw Services, Dan Smith said in the media release. "The city-wide nuisance party bylaw continues to be an effective tool."

Students union led cleanup

On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, McMaster University thanked the McMaster Students Union or leading a community cleanup the morning after the parties.

In October 2021, some 5,000 people crowded the Ainslie Wood area near McMaster University during the first McMaster Marauders football game of the year.

A first-year student saw her car smashed and flipped over. People were reported to have entered the backyards of residents in the neighbourhood, ripped out street signs and threw alcohol bottles at each other.

A city staff report said it cost the Hamilton Paramedic Service $19,605.76 to respond to the event. The city also spent $1,731.37 cleaning out the street and replacing traffic signs. 

The event prompted city councillors to pass the new bylaw in September, 2022. Thousands of students filled the same neighbourhoods last year, shortly after the bylaw was enacted.