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Task Force on Street Parties

Struck by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane, the Task Force builds on Queen’s existing partnerships with the City of Kingston and community partners and provides a forum to develop new and innovative approaches to address unsanctioned street parties.

Chaired by Principal Deane, the task force will bring together the university, the City of Kingston, community partners, student leaders, as well as local enforcement and emergency response partners, to examine the effectiveness of current approaches and to learn from the best practices used in other jurisdictions. The task force will also invite input and ideas from the community.

 For more information, read the Terms of Reference. 

Over the summer Task Force Working Groups met and worked on a series of recommendations. Experts from different fields provided insights as to how to develop new and innovative approaches to address unsanctioned street parties. The groups reviewed sector policies, past and current practices and social media evidence-based campaigns.

The following recommendations were developed through a collaborative process that included campus partners, as well as community members.

 If you want to convey messages to the Task Force regarding the recommendations, please submit them using this form. 

Task Force Structure

Principal and Vice-Chancellor - Chair
Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor to the Principal
Vice-Principal, University Relations
Queen's Senate/Orientation Review Member
University Council Member
University Rector
AMS President, or designate
SGPS President, or designate
Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs
Associate VP (Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion)
Director Campus Security and Emergency Services
City of Kingston Leadership Representative (Mayor’s Designate)
City of Kingston By-Law Representative
City of Kingston Police Representative
Frontenac Paramedics Representative
KGH/Hotel Dieu Hospital Representative
University Health Representative
Public Health Representative
St. Lawrence College Representative
Royal Military College Representative
Sydenham District (Neighbourhood) Association Representative
Portsmouth District Community (Neighbourhood) Association Representative
Williamsville District Association Representative
KingsTown District Association Representative
 

1. Scan of Other University/Sector Approaches

2. Psycho-Social Analysis, including Historical/Cultural Context
 
3. Enforcement/Policing Issues
 
4. Communications
 
5. Public Health and Safety/Harm Reduction Education

Recommendations

  1. Establish a public database
    1. Historical and future data should be collected on the number of alleged Liquor Licence Control Act and by-law offenses/charges, health-related statistics, charges and prosecutions, Queen's internal discipline proceedings, and any other pertinent topics. The database should be open to relevant community stakeholders to provide up-to-date statistics yearly, and Queen's University should monitor and maintain the database continuously.
  2. Acknowledge street party phenomenon as a cultural issue. 
    1. The final report should address the effects of alcohol-related marketing and availability, as well as social media effects on culture.
  3. Advocate for less alcohol availability, alcohol marketing, and overall strengthening of both local and provincial alcohol policies.
    1. Work has been done to address street parties before and after events take place, but there should be a focus on the broader alcohol environment and its role in community-related issues.  
    2. Potential development of a community partnership – benefits would be ongoing monitoring and shared vision. 
  4. Acknowledge that street parties are not unexpected given the unique characteristics of the university district, geographical location, and abundance of young people. 
  5. Focus on building new traditions that foster school spirit. 
  6. Address accountability for street parties.

 

  1. Use the Postsecondary Education Partnership-Alcohol Harms Framework (PEP-AH Framework) more broadly and incorporate community actions and interventions to reduce alcohol harm. 
  2. Support alcohol harm reduction campaigns (e.g. Before the Floor) by funding targeted messaging to Queen’s community. 
    1. Queen's University to help expand the reach of these campaigns. 
  3. Facilitate access to harm reduction measures.
    1. When street parties are expected to take place, Queen's University should facilitate access to food trucks, water trucks, washroom facilities, triage, and the Campus Observation Room (COR), alongside any additional harm reduction measures.
  4. Increase the funding for health promotion video production.

  1. Increase funding for evidence-informed health promotion campaigns and market research to inform and implement communications that would resonate with Queen's students.
    1. This would include focus groups.
  2. Engage with neighbourhood associations by including them in conversations surrounding street parties, enforcement, and sharing of resources.
  3. Begin communications regarding street parties/getting through the cultural shift of parties as soon as students arrive in Kingston (inherently including all community partners).
    1. Overall message about building a community together - create a sense of expectations, togetherness, and responsibility.
  4. Provide police and campus security with more facetime with students during orientation week and/or orientation training.

 If you want to convey messages to the Task Force, please submit them using this form.