'Somebody is going to die': Growing fallout from Dalhousie's unofficial homecoming party
There's plenty of finger pointing, blame and anger in Halifax after thousands of Dalhousie University students took to the streets for an unofficial homecoming party over the weekend.
Police say between 3,000 to 4,000 people attended the annual, unsanctioned event spread over a couple of streets near the university, and there were indications things were getting out of hand.
"I would say it was near riot conditions," Dr. Caitlin Lees, who lives in the area, told CTV News Monday. "People were fighting, there was a fire in the street, and someone was stabbed."
In a statement issued Sunday, Halifax Regional Police (HRP) said dozens of tickets were issued, and officers who intervened found themselves targeted by the crowd.
"Our officers were pelted with anything that was available: beer bottles, cans, to debris that was left behind from the storm," said HRP spokesperson Const. John MacLeod.
The chief of police went further in a letter to Dalhousie's president, suggesting the university should have a "stronger role to play" in controlling unsanctioned events involving Dalhousie students.
But some say that's only part of the problem.
"There are other students from other jurisdictions that are able to plan to come over to this party," said Dalhousie Student Union President Aparna Moham.
"There were students from SMU, there were students from Mount St. Vincent, Acadia, St. FX. A lot of the students I was meeting were not even from Dal," she said.
For its part, Dalhousie says all of it is disappointing and unacceptable, but discouraging it is an uphill battle, especially with some online sites glorifying and advertising the party lifestyle.
"Particularly social media sites and others who are grabbing on to this idea of unsanctioned homecoming activities," said Dalhousie Vice-Provost Student Affairs, Rick Ezekiel, adding the problem isn't limited to Dalhousie.
"And really, in some instances, at institutions that never had homecoming before, really encouraging students to engage in this type of behaviour," said Ezekiel, citing London, Ontario, Ottawa, and Hamilton, among others.
"Our stance is, it's wildly unacceptable for students to engage in the behaviours we were seeing."
The problem has been ongoing over the years, with several complaints and disciplinary action lodged last year.
Dalhousie had previously warned students about the scheduled event on Sept. 16 and again on Sept. 28.
In an email to CTV News Sunday, a school spokesperson noted, "In addition to major fines levied by HRP for noise infractions, disturbances, property damage and alcohol-related offences, students may also be arrested. Students who engage in harmful behaviours that fall within the jurisdiction of Dalhousie’s Code of Student Conduct or Residence Community Living Standards also risk being sanctioned by Dalhousie through those mechanisms."
For area residents like Lees, the latest event was over the top, but solutions have no easy answers.
She acknowledges students have every right to have a good time, but no one has the right to trash a neighbourhood.
Dalhousie, she says, has a responsibility to encourage a fun and safe environment, but the city needs to enforce its bylaws.
In meantime, she has one worry.
"My biggest fear, actually, is that somebody is going to die."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.