'Brink of rioting': Saanich police to introduce roadblocks, more patrols due to escalating UVic parties
Victoria -
Saanich police say they're upping enforcement at the University of Victoria following a trend in large weekend parties, including the largest one police say they've ever seen over the Halloween weekend.
"These gatherings have been ongoing since the start of September – every weekend," said Const. Markus Anastasiades of the Saanich Police.
He says up to a 1,000 people have been seen at these parties, including one that occurred on the Halloween weekend.
Fireworks were launched at the party at the University of Victoria (UVic) campus. First the fireworks were shot in the air, and then some were shot into crowds.
A firework explodes near a crowd at UVic: (Submitted)
"I did walk through from the bus stop where I live and they had managed to light the sidewalk on fire," said one young man who was at the UVic campus Tuesday.
Police say one person was arrested over the Halloween weekend and charges are being considered. Another person sustained minor injuries during a fight while several underage youth required medical attention.
"Disorderly conduct has been escalating over the past few weeks, to the point now that we're concerned someone's going to be seriously injured," said Anastasiades.
A video from the first weekend of the fall semester shows a person jumping from the top of a walkway onto a crowd.
A screenshot from the video of the man jumping during the first weekend of the fall semester is shown: (Submitted)
In a statement Tuesday, the police department said that it was not uncommon to see "disorderly conduct that verges on the brink of rioting" at weekend events.
In a statement, the University of Victoria said many of the people at the Halloween party were not students of UVic.
Police agree, saying that some students of nearby high schools are believed to attend the events.
Moving forward, Saanich police say they will introduce "proactive roadblocks and roaming foot patrols" at the UVic campus during the weekends.
"Police will be enforcing the Trespass Act, Liquor Control and Licencing Act, and any other statute that applies to those who are not lawfully permitted on campus and in contravention of these and other relevant laws," said the police department.
"Saanich Police appreciate the University of Victoria’s cooperation in ensuring public order and safety is restored while keeping everyone safe in a peaceful and respectful learning environment."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Q & A with a Russian warfare expert: 'This is not a proxy war' with the U.S.
With the anniversary of Ukraine's invasion by Russia around the corner, CTV News sat down with a Russian warfare expert to discuss how he sees the conflict playing out and what happens next.
Extreme cold warnings spread across Canada as arctic chill approaches Eastern provinces
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, as of Thursday morning there were extreme cold or winter storm warnings active from coast to coast, with the harshest extreme cold warnings stretching from northern Alberta all the way to Nova Scotia.
Would you pay $300 a year for quick access to a nurse? Dealing with demand, Ontario doctors get creative
Paid subscriptions to on-demand care are among the many strategies primary health-care providers in Ontario are adopting in order to meet increased demand for access to doctors in the past year, while also managing staffing shortages.
Why Delissio pizzas and other Nestle products will disappear from Canadian stores
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
Six more weeks of winter? Here are the predictions of groundhogs across North America
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
'Dances With Wolves' actor appears in court in abuse probe
A former 'Dances With Wolves' actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous girls and leading a cult must remain held without bail until his next court hearing, a judge ordered Thursday morning.
Ukraine's new weapon will force a Russian shift
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Former Wagner commander says he is sorry for fighting in Ukraine
A former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway told Reuters he wanted to apologize for fighting in Ukraine and was speaking out to bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice.
Justice minister says he'll 'look at' federal policy restricting gay men from donating sperm
Justice Minister David Lametti says he will "look at" a federal policy that restricts gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, after CTV News exclusively reported on Wednesday that a gay man is taking the federal government to court over it.
Vancouver
-
7 B.C. school districts to add mental health support teams, bringing total to 12
British Columbia is expanding mental-health and substance-use services for children and youth by adding new multi-disciplinary teams to seven school districts.
-
Number in hospital with COVID-19 in B.C. hits another new low in latest update
The number of patients with COVID-19 in B.C. hospitals declined again this week, once again reaching a low not seen since before the province began including incidental hospitalizations in its count.
-
Emaciated dog found tied to railing with note: BC SPCA
A nine-year-old pit bull named Rolo will soon be up for adoption after being found abandoned in downtown Prince George, according to the BC SPCA.
Edmonton
-
'Escalating violence' contributes to closure of Edmonton senior's centre: board of directors
The Operation Friendship Seniors Society (OFSS) announced Wednesday that it would be shutting down services at the McCauley Seniors drop-in facility.
-
4 arrested after south Edmonton pawn shop robbed, employees shot at: EPS
Four people in their 30s have now been charged with robbing a pawn shop in south Edmonton, while police work to determine if one of the accused also shot two workers at another store in December.
-
Edmonton-area basketball coach facing child pornography charges
A 58-year-old man from Stony Plain, Alta., has been charged with possession of child pornography and transmitting child pornography.
Toronto
-
Southern Ontario bracing for arrival of 'dangerous' blast of cold weather
Toronto and most of Ontario are in for a frigid bout of winter weather, according to Environment Canada.
-
Air Canada outage impacts operations at Toronto Pearson Airport
An outage experienced by Air Canada impacted operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport Thursday afternoon.
-
Ontario paramedic breaks down during emotional final radio call before retirement
A paramedic signing off for duty for the last time got choked up and teary-eyed during his final radio call to colleagues.
Calgary
-
Assault charge laid in connection with incident at Chestermere city hall
Mounties out of Chestermere have laid a charge in connection to an alleged assault at the city’s municipal building last month.
-
'The eyes of the world': Trial starts for Calgary pastor charged in border blockade
A court has seen video of a Calgary pastor encouraging truckers to keep blocking the Canada-U.S. border to protest COVID-19 restrictions because the world was watching.
-
Indus school custodian is a finalist in a North American competition.
Judy Preete is the custodian at Indus School, just east of Calgary and is also one of 12 finalists from schools all over Canada and the United States for the annual Custodians Are Key competition hosted by Tennant Company.
Montreal
-
WEATHER
WEATHER | Extreme cold warnings blanket the province of Quebec
After an extremely mild month of January, the province is bracing for a blast of arctic air that will move in tonight and last until Saturday. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued extreme cold warnings that covers most of the province with wind chills expected to be between -38 and -42 across the South and -50 across Northern Quebec.
-
'It just takes one bad dose': Coroner rules NDG fixture Sean Abbott died from overdose
A beloved man who was a fixture on the streets of Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood died last year from a combination of street drugs in his system, including fentanyl, a coroner has ruled.
-
When will work on Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge end? It's 'complicated,' says Transport Ministry
The discovery of major cracks on the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge is causing trouble for off-island commuters, with traffic down from three to two lanes in each direction. According to Transport Quebec, it's difficult to say when conditions on the bridge will return to normal.
Atlantic
-
Extreme cold warnings issued for all three Maritime provinces
On the day that Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, there are extreme cold warnings cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
-
N.B. RCMP investigating after children ingest cannabis edibles at Sackville middle school
Police in Sackville, N.B., are investigating after seven children ingested cannabis edibles at a middle school on Wednesday.
-
Extra spaces open at shelters ahead of freezing temperatures; heat pump users warned of pipe bursts
An extreme cold warning has been issued across the region, with some saying the arctic air could break record-low temperatures in the Maritimes.
Winnipeg
-
Search warrant: Winnipeg couple used their “stash” to hand out THC candy to children on Halloween
New documents show what led to a couple handing out cannabis-infused gummies to children in Winnipeg - and what happened in the hours directly after.
-
17-year-old arrested for double homicide in The Pas: RCMP
RCMP have arrested a 17-year-old male from Moose Lake in connection to a double homicide in The Pas last month.
-
Manitoba Liberal leader wants premier suspended for allegedly violating conflict of interest rules
A Manitoba judge is being asked to decide whether Premier Heather Stefanson violated conflict of interest rules, as alleged by the leader of Manitoba's Liberal Party.
Kitchener
-
'Time to move on': Reaction as Udo Haan found not criminally responsible for wife’s death, house explosion
A Kitchener man, who was charged with killing his wife and then blowing up their home in 2018, has been found not criminally responsible.
-
Police investigating reports of an armed robbery at Conestoga Mall
Waterloo regional police are at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo for reports of an armed robbery.
-
Extreme cold and snow squall warnings for Waterloo region and surrounding areas
A blast of cold Arctic air is expected to reach southern Ontario Thursday night paired with possible heavy blowing snow, according to Environment Canada.
Regina
-
Regina hospital patient died while waiting for admission, paramedic logs reveal
Paramedic logs from 2022 are highlighting some of the pressures Regina EMS workers have been facing for months including one instance where a patient died following offload delays at the hospital, the documents indicate.
-
Video of Sask. hockey rink's 95-year-old staircase grabs national attention online
One of Saskatchewan’s oldest hockey rinks has garnered national attention for its unique features and unusual design.
-
'Embrace our winter': Frost 2.0 puts final touches on festival prep
The final details are being chiselled into place at the REAL District in preparation for the second annual Frost Festival taking place Feb. 3 to 12.
Barrie
-
Recently married pedophile Shayne Lund appears before parole board
Convicted pedophile Shayne Lund, now 31, revealed he is recently married and took part in a day and full parole review in a videoconference hearing Thursday from the Ottawa area.
-
Mother, daughter duo arrested in animal abuse investigation
A mother and daughter from Sarnia are under arrest and facing charges associated with animal abuse.
-
Innisfil to rename community centre honouring fallen SSPS officer
The Town of Innisfil is renaming its community centre to honour the memory of fallen South Simcoe Police Service officer Const. Morgan Russell.
Saskatoon
-
Former student says she was 'groomed' by Saskatoon educator accused of sexual assault
Aaron Benneweis, 46, has been charged by Saskatoon Police with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority.
-
Man accused in Saskatoon killing uses social media to 'terrorize' victim's family, mother says
A man accused of killing his girlfriend is sending harassing social media messages to her family over social media — even though he's in jail.
-
Saskatoon pharmacy fined for overcharging government agency thousands of dollars
A Saskatoon pharmacy has been ordered to pay over $55,000 after acknowledging its guilt for improperly billing for medications.
Northern Ontario
-
Fight between two 7-year-olds turns violent after mom gets involved
An argument between two young children playing outside together escalated to violence when a parent got involved, a North Bay mom says.
-
OLG to unveil $48M lottery winner from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. is holding a big reveal Friday morning: the winner of a $48 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw.
-
Highway 11 closed in northern Ont. after multi-vehicle pile up
Highway 11 in northern Ontario is closed Thursday morning from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson after a collision involving several vehicles, police say.