Crowded party sparks Airbnb investigation

Company investigating after 83 students charged at event posted on social media

After police busted an Airbnb house party in Chelsea over the weekend, with 83 people ticketed for COVID-19 violations, Mayor Caryl Green is striking a delicate balance between welcoming visitors to the picturesque community in the Gatineau foothills and ensuring health restrictions are respected in a provincial red zone.

“The residents here are doing their best and then when there are people who come to visit the area, whether at an Airbnb or in the village, residents get very nervous and they are concerned,” Green said in an interview Tuesday.

The local Outaouais public health authority has been reporting an alarming rate of new infections traced to community spread, Green said.

“The local health authority has been telling us for the past few weeks the community transmission (rate) is at 84 per cent, with the greatest number in the 20 to 29 age range,” Green said. “And I think that fits this profile of a house party at an Airbnb in Chelsea with a great number of visitors, with as many as 150 people at the party.

“The residents in the area become very nervous about their own health and that they feel it's something beyond their control.”

Police responding to multiple complaints from neighbours arrived at the home in the Tulip Valley neighbourhood around 2 a.m. Sunday to find 25 cars in the driveway and dozens of international students at the party, according to Sgt. Martin Fournel of MRC des Collines police.

The 83 people police identified were fined $1,000 each (around $1,500 with administration fees). There were more people at the party, but Fournel said some partygoers ran away.

Airbnb issued a global ban in August on house parties at its properties, and a spokesperson on Tuesday said the company is investigating the Chelsea party.

“House parties are currently banned on Airbnb globally, and we are investigating this incident,” Ben Breit said in an email.

The homeowner lives in Montreal, police said, and was not there at the time.

The partygoers were international students from several post-secondary institutions, police said, who had travelled from Ottawa, Montreal, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.

The party was advertised on social media, though Fournel said, “We aren't sure exactly how.”

Green called it an “unfortunate situation” that municipalities have been lobbying the Quebec government to remedy.

“With this situation, there's a large gathering with up to 150 people and the neighbours were kept awake by it, so we have a commercial entity in a residential zone,” Green said.

“Municipalities throughout Quebec are very strongly lobbying the Quebec government to give us more control to put more restrictions in our bylaws. I know Quebec is working on their own (provincial) law on this, but municipalities are at the local level, and we're the ones who see the garbage at the side of the road, hear from neighbours because of cars coming and going … and now with COVID that extra layer of concern with visitors coming and not respecting the health limitations.”

The Gatineau area was declared a “red zone” on Oct. 15 and Premier François Legault announced Tuesday those restrictions will be extended to Nov. 23.

“The premier mentioned the party in his press conference, and I think it becomes a message to the whole province that this can't continue,” Green said.

“It speaks to the need for people to take individual responsibility for the collective good, and each person has to make that choice, and that does mean putting limits on ourselves.”

This isn't the first time Chelsea residents have expressed their concerns, Green said.

The National Capital Commission had to temporarily close sections of Gatineau Park during its “Fall Rhapsody” event when the village was overrun by vehicular traffic along Old Chelsea Road, a provincial road from the highway leading to a national park that serves as the village's main thoroughfare.

“It's not only the vehicle traffic, it's the people waiting for ice cream or a pub or restaurant. And as much as the owners of these restaurants set up signs of where to stand, there was crowding, just a lot of people in a small area,” Green said.

“And so it's a wonderful place to visit, and I don't want to in any way discourage people from coming here in a safe manner, and I know our restaurants rely on people coming, and now picking up takeout.

“And so it's a fine balance to discourage people from coming here, while at the same time trying to support (the) local economy.”