McMaster Homecoming draws thousands as Hamilton police declare nuisance party 

Hamilton police declared a nuisance party near McMaster University Saturday evening after thousands of students filled streets in the Westdale neighbourhood for Homecoming celebrations.

Police estimated about 5,000 students had gathered by mid-afternoon, with at least 200 police resources deployed to monitor crowds around the university.

“Right now the crowd is calm and compliant,” Insp. Frank Miscione, acting superintendent with Hamilton police, told CHCH around 3:30 p.m.

By 6 p.m., police posted on X that a nuisance party had been declared around Dalewood and Westwood avenues, ordering attendees to disperse or face penalties under the city’s nuisance party bylaw.

Attending a declared nuisance party can carry a $300 fine, while failing to comply with an order to end one carries a $400 penalty.

Police did not provide CHCH News with details on what specifically prompted the declaration.

Miscione said officers were watching for behaviour including public urination, assaults, blocked roads and excessive noise, with several factors considered when determining whether a gathering meets the criteria for a nuisance party.

The city’s response to large homecoming gatherings follows a turbulent celebration in 2021, when a car was flipped during a large street party near McMaster in the Ainslie Woods area.

Police, the university and the McMaster Students Union have since worked together on measures aimed at keeping celebrations safe.

“It’s incredibly important to us that we’re able to continue to put on these great and large-scale events,” McMaster Students Union president Mariam Saleem said.

“If that involves a little more security measures, I think everyone is on board with the fact that they just wanna get out and they wanna have fun and they wanna celebrate being a McMaster student.”

For much of Saturday, students dressed in maroon filled the neighbourhood with music and parties, while officers monitored the crowds and eventually blocked off parts of the area.

For people living nearby, the hope was that the celebrations would remain respectful.

“I’m all for them having a good time, enjoying themselves as long as they’re respectful of everyone else too, right?” resident Jacob Sousa said.

By Sunday, the police tape was down and the surrounding Westdale streets were quiet again.

McMaster students also had a win to celebrate, with the Marauders defeating the Laurier Golden Hawks 18-16 in Saturday’s Homecoming football game.

SEE MORE: How Hamilton, police, McMaster plans to keep Homecoming safe for all