Dal draws up plan to curb Halifax street parties

Dalhousie University is hoping it can finally get ahead of its street party problems.

For the past few years, the university has been grappling with thousands of students who have poured into the streets to party in a residential area near the Halifax campus.

The large unsanctioned street parties, which typically take place during homecoming events at the university in October, have resulted in injuries, fines, arrests and property damage.

This year, Dal is hoping for a different result when homecoming weekend finally hits.

Video from a large street party on homecoming weekend in October 2022:

The situation pic.twitter.com/hGu1RaZSaR

— Abdiel 🐝☕️ (@abbydealer) October 2, 2022

To make that happen, the university has heard from the Dalhousie Student Union, students, residents of the community, Halifax Regional Municipality and others on how it can address street parties differently than they have in previous years.

When it comes to homecoming on Oct. 7, there will be Dal-organized and sanctioned on-campus events, including:

• Live DJs on the Dalhousie quad
• A food truck festival
• A licensed area on campus for those ages 19 and older
• Alternative programming and residence-based programming throughout the day

Lindsay Dowling-Savelle, spokeswoman for Dal, said there will also be a festival organized by Beta Entertainment at the Garrison Grounds in the evening.

“… Although this is not a Dalhousie event, we have shared information with our students as another activity in which they can choose to take part on that day,” Dowling-Savelle said in an emailed statement.

“We understand many students have been interested in this event, which we suspect will be a positive alternative drawing energy away from potential street gatherings.”

However, it’s not just about hosting events in hopes that students will gather there instead of in the streets.

On Sept. 16, Larch and Jennings streets will be closed to allow residents of the area to come together and paint under the guidance of artist Tayla Fern Paul. There will also be food and entertainment.

The university has also invested in harm-reduction programming on its campus and will launch Dal Care Hubs, a safe, non-judgmental and supportive space for students.

“This complex issue requires sustained co-operation aimed at addressing the root causes of this growing trend and finding alternative ways for students to feel connected to each other and their community,” Dowling-Savelle said.

“This complex issue requires sustained co-operation aimed at addressing the root causes of this growing trend and finding alternative ways for students to feel connected to each other and their community.” 

– Lindsay Dowling-Savelle, Dalhousie University spokeswoman

Caitlin Lees said she’s thrilled to see Dal take a “dramatically different approach” from what’s been done in recent years.

Lees, who has lived in the mixed residential-student neighbourhood for years, said there’s a “clear demonstrated need” by students and other members of the community for a big large party.

And while she acknowledges parties are part of the university experience for some, her main concern is that they happen in a “safe and respectful environment.”

“I’ve been genuinely quite concerned in past years that somebody is going to die in my front yard,” Lees said in an interview.

“And after last year, when somebody was stabbed and police officers were injured, I don’t think that’s an extreme statement or concern for me to have.”

Lees said it’s not just her neighbourhood that is affected when there’s a large street party.

“There is an incredible amount of resources that go into managing these things, so the cost of the police officers hired for extra coverage, the planning that goes into managing it all, all of those things are incredibly costly,” Lees said.

Lees, who is a physician, said some people also end up in the emergency department as a result of attending these events, which “creates a very real impact on our health-care system.”

But Lees is hoping the mural project that is to take place before homecoming will help develop relationships between the residents and students living in the area.

“I think where some of our neighbours are fairly transient from year to year, it can be hard to know who your neighbours are, so this allows students to meet us and us to meet students,” she said.

Lees said one of the students who has lived next door to her family for the past four years “is basically family” and helps out when needed. The same applies vice versa.

“But you have to meet each other to be able to do that,” Lees said.

Lees said she is optimistic heading into the school year.

“The community is feeling more involved and heard in a way that I’m not sure we did in years past,” she said.

The Dalhousie Student Union did not reply to a request for comment by deadline.