St. Patrick's celebrations

[danbrotherston]

Lol, St. Patricks day news coverage is slowly taking over ALL news coverage.

   

[jamincan]

In just about any Internet discussion out there, you will find some extremist statements. That doesn't mean it's how (the people of) "our city" at large feel.

Sure...but it is absolutely the case that the less extreme opinion of "they should be forced to stop because I'm angry about this and mah tax dollars!"....is by far the most common belief.

You think that's a fair characterization of people's views?

[Spokes]

Not following.  What do you mean?

I'm betting that the constant news coverage drives attendance...so contributing to the problem.

And the frustrating thing is the frothing at the mouth hate.  There have been more than one person to argue the people who need medical attention should have been left to die.

But that's how the media has always worked right.  Conflict conflict conflict.  If it bleeds it leads.

[Spokes]

Lol, St. Patricks day news coverage is slowly taking over ALL news coverage.

THiS is what will happen if you take e-learning classes!!  (not going to rant, not going to rant, not going to rant)

[danbrotherston]

Sure...but it is absolutely the case that the less extreme opinion of "they should be forced to stop because I'm angry about this and mah tax dollars!"....is by far the most common belief.

You think that's a fair characterization of people's views?

I do believe this is a fair characterization of the typical viewpoint in the city.

Certainly there are exceptions, but they seem rare.

Feel free to prove my opinion (derived from my personal observation) wrong using data, but I'm not aware of any.

Otherwise, we can disagree, but this is the impression I get these days, and also when I was a student.

[Rainrider22]

You think that's a fair characterization of people's views?

I do believe this is a fair characterization of the typical viewpoint in the city.

Certainly there are exceptions, but they seem rare.

Feel free to prove my opinion (derived from my personal observation) wrong using data, but I'm not aware of any.

Otherwise, we can disagree, but this is the impression I get these days, and also when I was a student.

One Stat is the exorbitant amount of money it costs the tax payer for this party. Atleast have the students federation pay.

[panamaniac]

I do believe this is a fair characterization of the typical viewpoint in the city.

Certainly there are exceptions, but they seem rare.

Feel free to prove my opinion (derived from my personal observation) wrong using data, but I'm not aware of any.

Otherwise, we can disagree, but this is the impression I get these days, and also when I was a student.

One Stat is the exorbitant amount of money it costs the tax payer for this party. Atleast have the students federation pay.

The students federation is not involved with the party, is it?

[jeffster]

Really not worth discussing because it's going to happen regardless. It'll cost us in more way than one, but Waterloo isn't interested in solution, or they're simply too damned stupid to resolve it in a way to make everyone happy.

My fear is the one day there will be a casualty. Until then, it's a party town.

Now, I did speak to someone that went to the party and he told me things, and I verified this info in the paper, but more and more will be smoking Purple Kush rather than drink. Imagine 30,000 pot heads? Duuuuuude, chill, man, chill, it feels good, to chill.....Doritos!!

[danbrotherston]

Regarding St. Patricks day I always hear people saying they feel so bad for the people who live in that area. Does anyone besides students actually live in that area? I had the impression that it was entirely students or at least recently non-students now. I think Northdale has some non-student residents remaining, but I'd be surprised if there were any left on Ezra, Clayfield, or Bricker. Does anyone know for sure?

(And yes, I know students are people who you may feel bad for having to deal with St. Patricks day party, but I doubt that's who was being referred to).

[Bob_McBob]

I think there are a handful of non-student residents in the area just like the other student ghettos, but it's almost all student rentals.

[danbrotherston]

I think there are a handful of non-student residents in the area just like the other student ghettos, but it's almost all student rentals.

Are you sure?

There are all of six or so houses on Ezra, Clayfield, and Bricker that aren't obviously student houses (having enormous additions on the back), most of the street is larger multi-residential buildings.

[Spokes]

Police report 514 charges, 18 arrests at St. Patrick’s Day bash on Ezra Avenue in Waterloo

At its peak — at about 2 p.m. on Sunday — police say there were 33,000 revellers on Ezra.

"We have taken a small town in Ontario and put them within a municipal block," Larkin said Wednesday in an interview.

For the first time since crowds started partying in the streets more than 25 year ago, Waterloo Regional Police closed Bricker Street and part of King Street, from Bricker to Ezra.

Larkin said the "magnitude" of the crowd is "morphing this into a very dangerous event."

"Our biggest concern is that you start to lose the ability to police the event," he said.

It's also the first time, police say, that fist fights broke out, and rocks and glass and plastic bottles were thrown into the crowd.
...
Police said more officers will be needed next year to manage the party, which he said is "unlawful and unsafe."

For three years, Peel Regional Police officers have assisted local police. Larkin said more officers from other services will be required in the future.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/923...-waterloo/

[jeffster]

So it looks like a large number were not Laurier student, and even a larger number of non-students (I call these Creepers).

As pointed out in the article, there is a risk of a stampede to happen at some point. That certainly would result in a serious causality, which ultimately would make the school and city (and now region) liable for damages.

Now that this party is spilling onto King St, the Region should now get involved and charge anyone and everyone on the street with a by-law infraction.

[danbrotherston]

So it looks like a large number were not Laurier student, and even a larger number of non-students (I call these Creepers).

As pointed out in the article, there is a risk of a stampede to happen at some point. That certainly would result in a serious causality, which ultimately would make the school and city (and now region) liable for damages.

Now that this party is spilling onto King St, the Region should now get involved and charge anyone and everyone on the street with a by-law infraction.

What bylaw infraction?  There's nothing illegal about being in public, and the police are the ones who closed the road.

As for a stampede, that risk exists in any crowd, do you also want to arrest everyone at a mass protest as well?

[ijmorlan]

As pointed out in the article, there is a risk of a stampede to happen at some point. That certainly would result in a serious causality, which ultimately would make the school and city (and now region) liable for damages.

Why the school? Just because many of the partygoers are living here in order to attend school shouldn’t mean the school is responsible for something that happens on a Sunday, especially given that the school has no police power over City streets.

Now the City and Region I can at least understand where liability might come from, but I’m still more than a little hazy on what they’re actually supposed to do about it — it’s not illegal to go to a street and hang out with others doing the same thing.