‘No one should feel unsafe in their homes’: Dalhousie, area councillor condemn street party

Dalhousie University is ‘urging’ students who attended a large street party in south end Halifax on Saturday night not to attend classes for one week and to get tested for COVID-19

HALIFAXtoday\ Mark Hodgins

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Dalhousie University is “urging” students who attended a large street party in south end Halifax on Saturday night not to attend classes for one week and to get tested for COVID-19. 

Ten people were arrested and several reportedly taken to hospital after more than one thousand young people gathered for an unsanctioned Dalhousie homecoming party on Larch St.

According to south end councillor Waye Mason one man broke his leg falling off of a balcony and two other men suffered broken legs after jumping out of trees.

Mason says he’s had many complaints from people who live in the area, including reports of threatening behaviour from some of the partygoers.

“Some students had the liquid courage in them and they were being extremely belligerent and rude to people and threatening,” the councillor explained. “No one should have to feel that way in this neighbourhood, this is not a student neighbourhood, this is a mixed neighbourhood where students live next to professors who live next to doctors who live next to young families.”

In a statement issued on Sunday morning, Dalhousie called the actions of those who took part in the party “deplorable and reckless” and said it would be looking into disciplinary action.

Mason says despite some good messaging to students ahead of the party, he believes the university bears some responsibility for what happened.

“Dalhousie a couple of years ago went dry on campus, and what that means is if you can’t drink in residence and they’re not doing alcohol on campus – a dry campus means a wet neighbourhood,” he said.

“The parties have moved out into the neighbourhood, and I would argue that from a harm reduction point of view that’s actually less safe for the students because there’s no monitoring.”

The university says anyone who was at the party should not attend class or on-campus activities this week and get tested for COVID-19.