Ontario cities prepare to contain St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebrations

The City of Waterloo says police will be allowed to detain and charge anyone who attends or hosts an unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day street party or otherwise violates its nuisance bylaw over the weekend.

The city says it obtained an injunction in an effort to help law enforcement deal with large, unsanctioned gatherings, which it says are a “significant concern.”

In previous years, people taking part in such events could face a ticket or fine under the city’s nuisance bylaw.

Officials say that’s still on the table even with the injunction in place.

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The injunction covers a period starting today until Monday night.

Meanwhile, Hamilton says it will have a zero-tolerance approach to large unsanctioned parties in its university district until Monday night, with penalties of up to $10,000 for a first infraction and up to $25,000 for any additional violations.