Queen’s drops homecoming


after campus violence The Canadian Press


KINGSTON— Queen’s University

has cancelled its traditional

fall homecoming for the next two

years, citing an “unprecedented

number’’ of charges, violent incidents

and injuries at this year’s

event.

The event will be replaced by a

“homecoming-styled’’ reunion in

May 2009 and 2010, said a letter

sent to the university’s alumni.

The problems stem from an informal

street party whose timing

coincides with the fall homecoming

but is not sanctioned by

the university.

During the Saturday of the recent

September homecoming

weekend, about 8,000 mostly

drunken revellers took over Aberdeen

Street in the university’s

student village. An estimated 300

police officers, including four

riot squads,were on hand to

maintain order. The final police

tab was about $300,000.

Tom Williams, the school’s

principal and vice-chancellor,

said in the letter that university

staff, students and police have

been working to contain the

“volatile’’ situation.

“Despite our best efforts, the

situation has worsened,’’Williams

wrote.The most recent gathering

was “the largest yet and resulted

in an unprecedented number of

police charges, arrests, violent incidents

and injuries.”

Police made nearly 140 arrests

this year and laid almost 700

liquor charges.