University and college students will soon start classes in Waterloo and, as thousands of families arrive in the region to help young scholars settle in, there are some road closures and changes in place. At the University of Waterloo, move in began on Thursday as more than 5,000 first-year students are set to arrive by the end of the weekend. “It’s a big operation, but we have it down to science,” said Pamela Hurvis, manager of marketing and communications with Waterloo Campus Housing. “Students get 30 minutes to come, drop of their belongings, move cars to longer-term, free parking for the day and just make room for the next group.” At nearby Wilfrid Laurier University, an addition 3,400 first-years will settle into their new homes over the weekend. “Our goal with orientation is to bring as many first-year students as we can to different places around campus to have them have as much fun as they can so when they go into the academic year, they’re already familiar with people,” said Zeyad Mohamed, an orientation ice breaker with Laurier’s student union. Road restrictions and parking bans There will be no parking on the following streets between Friday and Sunday: Several other changes have also been made to keep traffic moving: Guelph Meanwhile, drivers in Guelph are also being urged to plan a little extra time to get around. Heavy traffic is expected near the University of Guelph over the weekend, particularly along Gordon Street between Stone Road and College Avenue. Stone Road, University Avenue, Smith Lane and Victoria Road will also be busy as families head to residence buildings. This is in addition to ongoing construction-related closures on College Avenue.
