Bermuda Shorts Day party closes street, draws police to frustration of neighbours
A series of connected parties prompted police to close a block of a residential street Tuesday as students celebrated the last day of classes.
Students estimated as many as 300 people attended the annual Bermuda Shorts Day party that started around 11 a.m. and mostly ended with an afternoon storm.
Bermuda Shorts Day, April 9, 2024
On Wednesday empty beer cans, red solo cups and other trash left from the festivities was scattered across lawns and lined both sides of Unwin Road NW.
Police set up a command centre at nearby McMahon Stadium while officers supervised the party through the afternoon.
One neighbouring homeowner said the block party shouldn't be allowed to continue on the public roadway, saying the damage and disturbance are too much.
Through the 2000s, the U of C Student Union hosted on campus events to celebrate the end of classes, but between the pandemic and rising costs, have scaled back in recent years.
RISING COSTS
Chris Willard lives a few doors down from Tuesday's party. He says in the past there have been drunk people on roofs and hanging from eavestroughs. Alleys and back yards frequently used for toilets.
"Homeowners are not very happy, whether they're renting or owning with the party taking place on the public street, we think there are other venues that would be better, for example, the parking lot at the stadium," says Willard.
"We have commuters coming through on their bicycles, or parents taking their kids home from elementary school or trying to get through a crowd of drunk people."
Student Union president Shaziah Jinnah-Morsette says sanctioned and controlled events in the past were effectively driven off campus and underground by rising costs from the University.
Bermuda Shorts Day started at U of C in 1960.
According to the student union, Bermuda Shorts beer gardens cost $17,000 in 2009, but those costs ballooned to over $98,000 by 2018.
"Things like an event space and security - not just for the event but for the whole campus for 24 hours. . .it's pretty clear that was a deterrent," says Jinnah-Morsette.
The university gave a statement Wednesday, saying it reached out ahead of the last day of classes.
"Leading up to the last day of classes, we worked diligently with the University Heights community and the Calgary Police Service to discuss the potential for unsanctioned, off-campus gatherings. UCalgary offered support with harm reduction efforts and assisted with clean-up."
Police also issued a statement, putting the total number of partiers at around 1,000 spread around student neighbourhoods. They said there were no significant incidents and the crowd was friendly.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.