Thousands pack Kingston, Ont. university district for 'fake homecoming'
Police in Kingston, Ont. grappled with parties in the city's University District Saturday as students crowded the streets for a second weekend in a row.
Last weekend, police estimated up to 8,000 people were in attendance at festivities to celebrate homecoming. More than 100 tickets were handed out over the weekend for hosting or attending nuisance parties and three criminal charges of obstruction were laid.
Police had said on Monday they were prepared for additional parties this weekend for "fake homecoming", and officers from other municipalities, including Toronto, Durham and York regions, and Belleville, were called in to help.
Police said they expected a crowd of up to 16,000 this weekend. Estimates from Saturday afternoon came in much lower than that expected figure, however. Police told CP24 the crowd on Aberdeen Street swelled to about 4,000 people in the afternoon. One Kingston police officer was reportedly injured and transported to the Kingston General Hospital.
Between 2:30 and 3 p.m., police announced aggravated nuisance parties had been declared on Aberdeen and Earl streets. Anyone who remained in the area would be subject to a $2,000 fine.
Several roads were closed for police and bylaw operations, the City of Kingston said.
Kingston police said they and officers from other police forces would remain in the University District through the afternoon and evening. The aggravated nuisance party declarations were lifted just after 5 p.m. once the streets were deemed clear.
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Kimberley Johnson and CP24's Janey Llewellin.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Calgary police to release more details on pro-Palestinian protest
Details on arrests, tickets and charges against a number of pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at the University of Calgary will be released on Friday, police say,
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.