Frosh Week Is Getting Out Of Control At Ontario Universities & The School Year Is At Risk

Some Ontario university students are enjoying their back-to-school days a little too much.

Large parties and gatherings have taken place involving students near or on campus at Western University, Queen's University and Wilfrid Laurier University, prompting the three schools to release statements all within the last week.

Western and Laurier both released a statement on September 7 warning students that they are putting both the academic year and community members at risk.

Western University acknowledged that over the past weekend, several large gatherings took place near campus along with "aggressive behaviour."

"This past weekend there were several large gatherings near campus – along with some aggressive behaviour that put the safety of others at risk. This activity is a blatant disregard for the campus community, public health, and the law," reads the statement from Alan Shepard, president and vice-chancellor and Zamir Fakirani, president of the University Students' Council.

"We want to be clear: if this activity continues, the academic year we have so carefully planned will not happen. In-person learning with fellow students, interaction with professors, extra-curricular activities, athletics and all the things that make your student experience great will be lost."

The Instagram account Western Savages posted a video of what appears to be a large student gathering three days ago.

Wilfrid Laurier University addressed in a statement by president and vice-chancellor Deborah L. MacLatchy that, over the weekend, "students participated in illegal gatherings near our Waterloo campus that resulted in vandalism to city and university property."

The statement went on to say those "identified will be facing suspension and/or expulsion from the university, may face fines for violating the Reopening Ontario Act, and could face criminal charges related to vandalism."

Queen's University released a statement by the principal and vice-chancellor Patrick Deane and the president of the Alma Mater Society, Zaid Kasim, on September 2, after Kingston Police broke up a street party near the campus of approximately 2,000 people, according to police.

"Over the last few days, large student gatherings have been occurring around our campus. This is a flagrant disregard for public health and for the law of our province."

"While consequences for this behaviour will be imposed, we acknowledge that the best way to put a stop to this recklessness is to band together and speak directly to those individuals who are jeopardizing our academic year."