Rowdy students rile residents

By Wendy Elliott

The Advertiser/NovaNewsNow.com

Wolfville RCMP had a paddy wagon ready this past weekend in case the remaining university students in town got rowdy.

Deputy Mayor Bob Wrye and Coun. John MacKay had been called out late Oct. 13 to witness the street parties on Prospect St. MacKay, who grew up on the street, said what he observed was chaos.

A number of downtown core property owners came to tell council of their distress at the behaviour demonstrated this fall.

Linden Avenue father Mark Ponikvar says his young children can’t walk bare foot on their own front lawn due to broken glass. He said it was his dream to come to Wolfville, but now when his son brings him half full bottles of Jack Daniels he sees the move as a nightmare.

Jack MacMaster described how drunken young people deliberately climb up five steps to pee on his front porch on Acadia Street and MJ MacMaster asked, if non-permanent residents don’t have to face the same consequences as permanent residents?

A newcomer from Yarmouth, David Burkett told council about being assaulted on his front lawn on Highland Avenue while trying to talk to rowdies. That same night, his new hedge was attached by vandals -- three separate times.

Four naked men

Later, school-community co-ordinator Kerri Leier spoke about trying to rehearse with children in the school library mid-afternoon while four naked men were outside on a Prospect Street rooftop.

Earlier this month, Mayor Bob Stead said Wolfville always has convulsions of students in the fall and how the town’s living in community committee has been trying to work with students and landlords.

Last week, committee chair Coun. Rosemary Segado assembled police, a student union representative and Acadia University staff member Steve Hassapis to knock on the doors of party houses adjacent to campus.

The town’s new RCMP Sgt. Ron Smith said about 30 liquor violations at $452 each have been laid since early September. Over 50 complaints have been investigated and as many as five noise bylaw infractions noted.

“We look to the public to let us know if they are disturbed,” Smith said. He knows of one eviction from Prospect Street this past month due to partying.

Smith added police can curb noise at an apartment building more easily than a single family home.

“We try to work with all partners,” he said, indicating he is working with the new director of athletics at Acadia so sports teams don’t get out of hand.

Breweries’ role

Another issue is breweries injecting their product into student events at cost or free, Smith commented.

Deputy Mayor Wrye said Wolfville residents know students don't live in a monastery, but they do live in a neighbourhood and residents should not have to be on the phone.

Coun. Bill Zimmerman questioned calling 911 for non-emergencies, but was told to use that route. He also said increased foot patrols are a good idea.

Acadia University spokesman Scott Roberts said last week that off campus students can’t be policed by the university. “They’d take offence if we tried to. Our capacity is limited and it’s a significant challenge with the amount of student housing off campus.”

Other Canadian universities take a different slant on the issue. Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, for example, has a code of conduct that does deal with students’ off-campus behaviour.

It reads: “This code specifically prohibits participation in disturbances such as unlawful street parties, which infringe the rights of the university's neighbours.”

Laurier students violating their code can face a peer judicial