Condo owners say city, police passing buck on late night parking lot partying at Saskatoon high school

CBC

5 days ago

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Robert Spencer says the partying usually kicks off just after the sun sets in the summertime.
The 67-year-old lives in one of the condo towers facing Centennial Collegiate in Saskatoon's University Heights neighbourhood. He is also on the condo board.
The pattern is familiar to the hundreds of seniors and university students who live in the buildings.
"Cars start piling into this parking lot and then you can hear loud laughter and talking. Then you start hearing tires screeching. And this goes on to one, two in the morning. Some nights fireworks, and they're flashing their lights and high beams," he said.
"They're revving their engines high. It's just constant noise over here in the night times."
Spencer and other condo owners say they're at a loss as to where to turn. Last summer, they put together a petition that they took to city police, city hall, the school board and MLAs, asking for "someone to do something that prevents them from coming here and just making noise all night long."
In a letter to the condo board dated June 20, 2024, police said they would assign extra patrols on night shifts to the school and surrounding area "and conduct enforcement as resources allow."
Police also reached out to the school, which acknowledged the problem but said that "it is difficult to block access off to the parking lot due to the adjoining Soccer Centre," the letter said.
Police also contacted the city solicitor's office, asking it to review the file and do an assessment on the area to see whether any restrictions could be put in place.
Two weeks ago, on the night of July 23, the sound of police and ambulance sirens were added to the sound of the fireworks, yelling and loud music.
Police said in a news release that, just after midnight CST, officers and paramedics responded to the lot after a report of a hit and run.
"Upon arrival they found a large group of youth and the injured male," the release said.
The 18-year-old had been hit by a car, which had taken off. He was taken to hospital with a serious head injury.
A 17-year-old later turned himself in. He is charged with aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident and two counts of assault causing bodily harm. He cannot be named because of his age. He is in custody and returns to provincial court Aug. 11.
Spencer said no one in the buildings is surprised by what happened.