Homecoming parties in Guelph 'worst' yet and 'impacted the entire community,' mayor says

This photo of the crowd at an off campus homecoming party in Guelph, Ont., on Saturday was posted to an Instagram account called Canadian Party Life. Police had to shut down traffic in the area of Chancellors Way near Stone Road Mall late Saturday afternoon after the crowd ballooned in size, spilling into nearby parking lots. (CanadianPartyLife/Instagram)Social SharingThe homecoming parties in Guelph, Ont., on Saturday may have been the "worst" yet, Mayor Cam Guthrie says.

Videos shared on social media show thousands of young people dressed in red, yellow, white and black, and partying on off-campus properties near Stone Road Mall.

Thousands of young people gathered in the area in the afternoon and the crowd ballooned. Some videos show items being thrown into the crowd while another shows young people climbing up the exterior walls of a building before falling into a bush.

Police closed Chancellors Way between South Ring Road West and Stone Road West on Saturday just after 5 p.m. and shared on X, formerly Twitter, that the move was "necessary to protect people's safety."

Guthrie said people in the area "are ticked" by the party and the disruption to their neighbourhood, adding, "I don't blame them.

"It's been pretty clear that it was probably the worst amount of issues that we've ever experienced in the history of homecoming parties," Guthrie told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris in an interview on Monday morning.

"Not only has there been a huge amount of resources required from our own staff for the front-line staff, if you can think about waste, and transit and bylaw issues, but then our emergency services as well, police, fire and paramedics — a lot of issues there."

"It was just really a ripple effect of issues that happened at homecoming that then impacted the entire community, including neighborhoods and businesses as well that experienced a lot of property," he said.

As of 9:30 a.m. on Monday, the Guelph Police Service had not yet posted any updates to how officers responded to the party.

Guthrie said he was also told the emergency department at Guelph General Hospital was filled with people from the homecoming parties who needed medical care.

Dr. Alex Folkl, chief of emergency medicine at Guelph General Hospital, said in a statement to CBC News that the emergency department treated approximately 60 people in relation to the homecoming festivities.

People were treated for "head injuries caused by thrown bottles, lacerations and intoxication."

"Homecoming-related visits place significant pressure on critical hospital resources. This weekend, our emergency department was stretched beyond capacity," Folkl said.

"Had we also experienced an influx of seriously ill patients or even a small multi-patient trauma event, there was a real risk that we would not have been able to provide every patient with the timely level of care they required."

He also urged college and university students "to make safe, responsible choices around alcohol and substance use."

"Doing so can reduce the risk of injury and help prevent avoidable visits to the hospital."

Homecoming parties in Guelph in recent years have made headlines for similar large gatherings. 

But Guelph isn't alone in dealing with unsanctioned student parties.

Waterloo has become known for an unsanctioned St. Patrick's Day party that happens near Wilfrid Laurier University each year, while other cities, including London and Kingston, have grappled with homecoming celebrations that have gotten out of control.

On Friday, the day before homecoming, the University of Guelph issued a statement on social media reminding students to be "mindful that your actions reflect those around you."

"Remember your Gryphon values and be respectful of your neighbours and the community you became a part of when you became a UofG student. Be safe and look out for yourself and each other," the post said.

These stills are taken from videos on Instagram that were posted on Saturday by people who said they were at the Guelph homecoming parties. The photos, from left to right, show a young person falling off a building while climbing it, police responding to the party and the crowd of people in the afternoon. (Instagram/Guelph Motives/Raytomusic1/djtwanyy_)Guthrie said it's not clear how to put a stop to the parties because once they happen on private property, there's "really nothing the government can do to try to step in."

"Especially in the world of social media right now, you say you can't do that here — and even that can be challenge to even suggest that — and then in literally 10 minutes, everybody's going to know that it's just going to happen somewhere else," he said.

He said he and others appreciated the students who gathered on Sunday to pick up trash and recycling, but that doesn't mean it's OK "for things to get out of control" the day before.

"These these students and or their guests that come here, they are guests in our city and the respect has to be there for us."

Over the next few days, Guthrie said, he will be in talks with officials from the university and emergency services. While Guthrie is not seeking re-election and a new mayor will be chosen on Oct. 26 during Ontario's municipal elections, he said the conversations "can't wait a month."

CBC K-W has reached out to Guelph police and the University of Guelph for comments about the weekend's events and will update this story as more information is shared.