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Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe said she was “surprised and shocked” to learn a Waterloo Regional Police Service sniper was deployed as part of law enforcement’s efforts to manage an unsanctioned street party during St. Patrick’s Day weekend in the city’s university district.
Waterloo police confirmed to The Canadian Press that a photo and video circulating of a sniper monitoring the St. Patrick’s Day crowd Saturday was indeed a Waterloo police officer, but at first did not answer questions about why one was deployed.
Police later said in an email late Sunday that “mass casualty considerations” were part of the safety plan for the event.
“The magnitude of unfortunate mass casualty events that have occurred across North America and around the world in recent decades have shaped emergency response strategies for all large gatherings,” Chief Mark Crowell said in the email.
“In accordance with legislated standards for emergency response and public order deployment, our officers effectively managed a large unsanctioned gathering upholding safety for all involved.”
Canada has seen numerous attacks with vehicles in recent years.
On April 26, 2025, an SUV plowed through a crowded Vancouver street, killing 11 people and injuring dozens at the annual Lapu Lapu Day festival that celebrates Filipino culture.
In 2021, four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, died while they were out for a walk after Nathaniel Veltman hit them with a pickup truck. The self-described white nationalist was sentenced to life in prison.
In 2018, a 25-year-old man drove a rented van into mostly female pedestrians on Yonge Street in Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 16.
Waterloo police said in its email that the safety plan for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend included the use of safety barriers “to prevent vehicles from dangerously driving into the area.”
It also said tactical officers were stationed in elevated locations to identify “potential safety concerns that may not be visible to officers on the ground.”
McCabe, however, said she was not informed of any concerns about weapons, extreme violence or any other issues that would require a sniper to be deployed at the unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
She said young people have hosted street parties to mark St. Patrick’s Day for upwards of 15 years, and the city has taken numerous measures to crack down on the event, which she said is disruptive to residents and puts strain on public resources.
In 2025, police in the city said they arrested 17 people and laid more than 250 charges related to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations over several days that at one point involved what investigators believed was an attempt to take over a street.
Prior to last year’s festivities, the city obtained an injunction to allow police to detain and charge anyone involved in large unsanctioned parties.
McCabe said she requested a meeting with the police chief to ask why officers felt a sniper was necessary to respond to this year’s street party. Police said the mayor and chief have spoken.
Police have said officers work closely with emergency services and community partners, including student unions of local universities and colleges, to ensure a well co-ordinated response to St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Last week, Waterloo declared a “Community Safety Event” in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, warning the city would be enforcing its nuisance bylaw, which prohibits things like intentionally blocking sidewalks or remaining on roadways to force a street closure.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2026.
Kathryn Mannie, The Canadian Press
