The City of Waterloo, Ontario, has reported that an unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day street gathering on March 14, 2026, resulted in 37 bylaw charges and 49 property clean-up orders. This is the first year since 2024 that the city did not use a court injunction to try to stop the crowd, choosing instead to declare a Community Safety Event and a parking ban in the university neighbourhood.
According to Municipal Enforcement Services, the tickets included 21 noise violations at $400 each and seven nuisance party fines at $800 each. Officers also issued six charges for blocking traffic and three fines for public urination during the event.
Approximately 7,500 people gathered at the peak of the event, which is a major decrease from the 25,000 people who attended in 2025. Acting Director Grant Curlew noted that the crowds were smaller and left the streets more quickly than in previous years.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service also laid 218 charges between March 13 and March 18, 2026. These actions included 128 traffic tickets, 58 liquor violations, and six criminal charges as part of the regional effort to manage the large crowds.
The gathering focused on the area between Columbia Street West and Albert Street, where the city has spent over $940,000 managing similar events since 2017. Officials noted there were no significant injuries reported during this year’s gathering.
