Partying on the street at Western University's HoCo? The fine will be $800

City officials are warning revellers looking to let loose during Western's Homecoming in London, Ont. this weekend that they could be hit with heavy fines reaching up to $800 a pop if their parties are on the street or get out of hand.

Bylaw officers won't be shy in handing them out — multiple times for the same offence if needed — and the fines can be significant, said Paul Ladouceur, London's director of emergency management security services.

"We want to drive that message home for anyone attending a nuisance party," Ladouceur said.

He said fines include:

• Attend a nuisance party: $800
• Fail to leave premises: $750
• Use of a closed road: $500
• Urinate in a public place: $250

"We certainly don't want to give out fines, that's not our goal here. Our goal is to make sure that people behave and act respectfully and realize that this is a community neighbourhood," he said.

In addition to warnings about financial repercussions, city officials and police are urging any party-goers to also keep their personal safety in mind.

"We'll have a highly visible presence in the area is directly adjacent to Western University in order to ensure public safety," said Const. Sandasha Bough with the London Police Service.

London police will also be bringing in additional officers from Hamilton, York and Windsor throughout the weekend, she said.

In previous years, the parties that brought revellers from across the province were held on Broughdale Avenue, adjacent to Western's campus where most houses are rented by students.

Last year, 28 people were sent to hospital during the event and the Middlesex-London Paramedic Service responded to 76 calls for service over the course of 24 hours.

Officials are also urging anyone who witnesses gender-based and sexual violence to intervene, warning that most victims are women, gender diverse and transgender individuals. Anyone affected can also use the Map My Experience website if they don't feel comfortable with reporting their experience to police.

A yearly issue with no perfect solution

To try and cut down on the number of street parties in the city, Western previously moved its traditional homecoming event from the end of September to October — a month where they felt the colder weather and exams would discourage students from coming out in force — back in 2016.

Students decided to party on the September weekend anyway, dubbing the new celebration FoCo or "fake homecoming".

In 2019, police were forced to close off Richmond Street as crowds spilled into traffic lanes and brought in extra officers from Hamilton and York region. Police said the bill at the time just for the event was nearly $300,000.

That same year, the city of London, it's first responder services, administrators of Western, Fanshawe College and Western University Students' Council formed the Unsanctioned Street Party Task Force to help better prepare London for the weekend.

In 2021, Western then moved the three-day homecoming celebration back to September, though most of the events were held virtually because of the pandemic.

"Although we encourage people to not attend these gatherings, the university does the best job they can by encouraging their students to remain on campus and enjoy the free activities that are there," said Ladouceur.