Police release St. Patrick's Day crowd estimate

St. Patrick's Day weekend in Waterloo and Guelph Thousands hit the streets in Waterloo's University District Saturday before a more subdued Sunday. Hannah Schmidt reports.

Waterloo regional police estimate 9,500 people gathered on Marshall Street during an unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day party Saturday.

Police Chief Mark Crowell presented the estimate at Wednesday’s police service board meeting.

“This event was handled very successfully by our members and our community partners,” Crowell said, promising to provide the cost associated with policing the gathering at a meeting in April.

This year’s crowd estimate was up slightly from the approximately 8,000 people who converged on Marshall Street last year, making it the biggest St. Patrick’s Day street party since the pandemic brought celebrations to a halt in 2020 and 2021.

Still, it’s well below the estimated 33,000 partiers who packed the Ezra Avenue corridor in 2019.

Crowell said police laid 257 charges at this year’s party and arrested 10 people.

“Thankfully there were no violent incidents to report,” Crowell said.

Last year, officers made 18 arrests and laid 230 charges.