City of London task force ready for homecoming weekend

The City of London will be ready for any unsanctioned street parties related to Western University's homecoming this weekend.

The 75th edition of the university tradition includes a sports hall of fame dinner, an anniversary brunch, an alumni awards celebration and a Western Mustangs football game. Meanwhile, the city's director of emergency management and security services is anticipating additional parties that could attract thousands of students on streets around Western's campus.

"The City of London's first responding organizations, Western University and the University Students Council first and foremost encourage those planning to attend any unsanctioned street gatherings this weekend to act responsibly, to take care of each other and prioritize safety and well-being," said Paul Ladoucer.

The citywide unsanctioned street party task force includes representatives from the London Police Service, Western University, London Fire Department, paramedic services, the Middlesex London Health Unit and Fanshawe College, along with operational support from London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Healthcare.

Bylaw enforcement will be working alongside police and the fire department to ensure safety, said Ladoucer. It will also be dealing with issues such as excessive noise and illegal parking.

"It's really important in these events to ensure that emergency vehicles can get to where they need to get to," he said. "When you have that many people gathered on a significant street or one particular street, it's imperative that if there ever was an emergency, we want to make sure that people can get the help they need."

A range of fines will be handed out, depending on the offence, spanning from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Through Project LEARN, residents near the university have been notified of what those fines could be, said Ladoucer, adding that there will be low tolerance for property damage.

"Homecoming is an exciting time for the university," Western said in a statement.

"As always, the safety of our students, alumni, guests and employees is our top priority and we'll have teams in place across campus to facilitate a safe and secure experience and to provide support for students."

Last year, about 10,000 people took part in unsanctioned gatherings during the homecoming weekend, with 31 people being treated at local hospitals.

A number of people damaged property, including a police vehicle, removed street signs, and pulled trees from the ground.

In 2016, Western moved its traditional homecoming event from the end of September to October as an attempt to deter the number of street parties in the city. Students decided to party on the September weekend anyway, dubbing the new celebration "fake homecoming" or FOCO.

The notorious unsanctioned street party attracted tens of thousands of revellers from across Ontario, costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in policing services.

Western University moved the three-day homecoming celebration back to September in 2021.