St. Catharines could ban ‘brewfing’
not illegal.
Kushner said he’d like to see the city adopt a bylaw similar to the one being crafted in London that would include a fine of $750. How that would be levelled through the courts at the participants, landlord or tenant of the house would have to be determined.
But Kushner said he believes landlords — likely the first to be sued if an accident happens — would be supportive of the bylaw because it would give them more teeth with students.
If Kushner’s motion is approved, city staff would write a report and a public meeting would have to be held before the city’s bylaws could be altered.
The city’s Town and Gown committee brought the brewfing issue to Kushner’s attention.
The idea is one that the Brock University Students’ Union can get behind.
Student president Patrick Foster said it’s a common-sense law.
“At the end of the day, this bylaw is looking out for students to ensure nobody gets hurt. That’s the intention of this bylaw,” he said Wednesday.
Foster, who spoke to Kushner, said the bylaw could prevent a student in the future from seriously injuring themselves.
However, Foster said it’s not a huge problem in the city. In five years at Brock, he said he hasn’t seen any friends on roofs, but said that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
Niagara Regional Police said Wednesday it’s something they’ve heard of but they couldn’t recall any recent incidents.
The reported that authorities in that city broke up 15 brewfing parties during Western University’s homecoming in 2016.