Waterloo city council will hear the latest from a task force looking into unlawful gatherings on Ezra Avenue Monday night

Some students call it a rite of passage.

But officials around Waterloo say unsanctioned street parties are not only dangerous, but also costly.

A task force has been looking into these unlawful gatherings, and will present their interim report to Waterloo city council Monday night.

The report details the work done since the task force was first given the green light in 2018, and also breaks down some of the suggestions they've been given during public consultations with students and the community as a whole.

"Through engagement undertaken with students, it is clear that these large gatherings are viewed as a rite of passage / tradition, which will make it more difficult to shift the culture surrounding these events," the report says.

"To be effective at changing the culture, the taskforce believes it will be critical to utilize a collaborative, multi-faceted and phased approach, with a strong communication plan that focusses on peer to peer messaging / influence."

This comes as attendance increases at events such as St. Patrick's Day and Laurier Homecoming, along with smaller gatherings as seen Monday night that was highlighted with furniture being set on fire.

Public safety has been one of the key issues, along with crowd behaviour, reputational risk to the school --- as detailed in a statement from Wilfrid Laurier University this week --- and the cost to the city, school and police force. That cost was approximately $1 million dollars for St. Patrick's Day and Homecoming in 2018 alone.

With Homecoming just three weeks away, the report also indicates they have pilot initiatives in place with public safety the key point they want addressed.

One of those things is advanced street closures, including a portion of King Street that will "increase pedestrian safety and provide first responders with a strategic staging area."

The task force says they've received well over 100 ideas on what should be done, and have also received proposals to host sanctioned parties on Ezra on St. Patrick's Day.

Some of the common themes they've looked at include operational enhancements like providing washrooms, containing the party so it doesn't spread to other neighbouring streets, and continuing and enhancing their messaging ahead of events.

You can read the full 70-page report HERE, starting on Page 32.