When University of Ottawa students return to the Sandy Hill neighbourhood near their school, there’s a good chance they will run into a police officer out to talk to them about back-to-school partying.
Ottawa police and community groups said they’ll be emphasizing that students should be safe and respectful neighbours in an area that includes many families and embassies.
“Students are an important party of the community . . . I think they can contribute very positively but at the same time, there are expectations that they be good neighbours,” said Supt. Uday Jaswal.
“(We expect) they respect the community they live in, and certainly when they visit the Market or other parts of the city there are expectations around behaviour.”
Residents such as Natalie Lipson said rowdy parties have been an issue in the area for years.
“There have been quite a few parties right down this road,” said the 14-year Sandy Hill resident.
“There was a band at 1 (a.m.), they had a guitar and tambourines and it sounded realy good, but I had to go and tell them ‘You sound great but I’m trying to sleep.’”
“Truly excessive behaviour is not really a good thing, but at the same time I think we live in a city where we have a diversity of communities,” said Todd Hartman.
“I don’t think there’s any harm in having some communities that are more boisterous than others.”
Others said they haven’t been bothered by noise in the neighbourhood.
“I think only a week ago there was a party that kept me up late at night, but otherwise it seems like it’s a pretty nice, quiet neighbourhood to me,” said Adela Laczynski.
“I think they’re just being too serious,” said Chad Menard. “We’re just having fun (in our) first year of school . . . people here are under control, we’re smart.”
The Town and Gown project begins next week, with police saying there’s the potential to expand it to other areas of the city.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin
