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Aberdeen Street overflows with revellers, alcohol Alisa Howlett/For The Whig­Standard Tuesday, March 17, 2015 8:21:03 EDT PM

Roy Colquhoun, 49, shows off the bicycle he built specifically for collecting empties, which students on Aberdeen Street were ver interested in. (Alisa Howlett/The Whig­Standard) It was the usual green scene this St. Patrick's Day. The sidewalks of the infamous Aberdeen Street were overflowing with student revellers as police kept a close watch. The parties started unofficially at around 2 p.m. on March 17, but Kingston Police were on scene before noon. Hundreds of students clad in green were spilling out of the Aberdeen houses with, some discreet and some not so discreet, alcoholic drinks. The small squares of grass making up the front yards on the street were overrun with mud, not a blade of grass was in sight.

Two upper­year Queen's students who live on Aberdeen Street didn't mind the mess or the noise of the partiers, even though they weren't partaking in this year's activities. "We figured we'd just come out and watch," said Hanna Brynn, a third­year general arts and science student at Queen's. "A guy actually just came up and did the splits in front of us." From the stoop of their apartment, the two students were blasting '90s pop music, like Britney Spears and Ricky Martin, which could be heard over the constant drunken uproar. "We feel like the parents," said Jackie Tessier, a Queen's teachers college student. "We provide the music and they get to dance and have a good time." The St. Paddy's Day partiers weren't strictly on Aberdeen Street, though. approximately 50 people were packed onto the roof of an Earl Street residence chanting happy drunken slurs. Beer bottles, red solo cups and crushed cans littered the area, creating a nightmare for the city cleanup crews, but a perfect scene for a bottle collector. Roy Colquhoun, 49, was among the students on Aberdeen Street, but he wasn't there to party, he was there to profit by collecting the empty bottles and cans. "Squirrels, I believe we're known as," Colquhoun said. Colquhoun said he's currently unemployed and on a limited income, so he's been collecting bottles in downtown Kingston for more than four years. He normally collects on the weekends, but he couldn't pass up an opportunity like St. Patrick's Day, he said. "It makes a difference when the students knowingly leave this stuff," Colquhoun said. "It's nice when the students leave bags of empties out." Dozens of students were even taking their empties straight to Colquhoun, some saying: "Here you go, buddy, hope this helps." Since he is strapped for cash, Colquhoun said he plans to spend a few hours collecting on Aberdeen Street. "You have to work pretty hard to come up with $20, but on a day like today, I can come up with as much as $50 or more," he said. During his past collecting excursions, Colquhoun said he has encountered some pretty judgmental people, but he said all of the students celebrating St. Patrick's Day were pleasant with him.

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nonqueensgrad • 2 years ago

God bless local businesses like Metro who gouge Queen's students by marking up the price of Kraft Dinner by at least 50%. 2△

▽ • Share › hamburking > nonqueensgrad • 2 years ago

KD? I think not...its an olive bar, fresh seafood, and something fancy with a french name on the side. Yes, Metro knows their demographic.

△ ▽ • Share › Reason • 2 years ago

Huh, a photo of some impoverished man and two well-behaved cute chicks instead of the idiot students walking in front of cars and being belligerent. Thanks for the journalistic integrity, Whig! 4△

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101Concerned • 2 years ago

Great idea! and I am glad to hear him say that the students were pleasant with him. 2△

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jayrider2000 • 2 years ago

Time to put marshal law into effect during these celebrations. These kids are a liability. 1△

▽ • Share › 242735 > jayrider2000 • 2 years ago

First, it's "martial" law, not "marshal" law. Secondly, there's nothing in the article to indicate that any arrests were made, that any serious criminal activity took place, or that police had any problem controlling the the party. In summation, the cops appear to have kept things under control. This wasn't a riot. 3△

▽ • Share › JP > 242735 • 2 years ago

I'd put their education level at grade 7. Hey 242735, you taught one of the student haters something today. Good for you.

△ ▽ • Share › Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > 242735 • 2 years ago

There were several arrests made and lots of laws broken. How about blocking traffic, noise open liquor even the anti gang laws could be applicable. Try and throw a party in your neibourhood and see how that goes.

your neibourhood and see how that goes. 3△

▽ • Share › Guest > Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney • 2 years ago

What is anti-gang laws? 1△

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242735 > Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney • 2 years ago

Again, it sounds like the sort of thing the cops can handle. If laws are broken, the police are certainly capable of handing out tickets and making arrests. Indeed, it's the sort of thing police handle all the time. There's no need for martial law or tactical units. 1△

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Guest • 2 years ago

He's just a middle aged dude trying to get laid. 2△

▽ • Share › hamburking > Guest • 2 years ago

Your auto correct changed "paid" to "laid" 5△

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Ashley • 2 years ago

Driving down University Ave at 3pm today I had to slow to 30km/hr because I had no less than 7 people run in front of my car. Worse than kindergartners. 9△

▽ • Share › William Murdoch > Ashley • 2 years ago

I was driving down Union at about 5:30 and same sort of thing. Group of university guys look right at me and intentionally walk right in front of me so slowly that I have to stop. And then, as a treat for stopping, one of them thought it was appropriate to pull his pants down and show me his butt. It's unfortunate that we have to stop in those situations, I'm only 23 and even I don't have the patience for inconsiderate, spoiled brats. I don't mind parties so much, even if they are loud and make getting around difficult. But the complete lack of respect is disgusting, and if the wrong person sees it, it could cost you more than you think. And your parents might not be able to bail you out 7△

▽ • Share › nonqueensgrad > William Murdoch • 2 years ago

"And then, as a treat for stopping, one of them thought it was appropriate to pull his pants down and show me his butt." Take a picture and upload it to facebook for all to see. 1△

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hamburking > William Murdoch • 2 years ago

hamburking > William Murdoch • 2 years ago

This is their neighbourhood...you are the intruder. If you are 23 and have no patience, I can only imagine how crotchety, angry, and miserable you will be at 40. So a guy showed you his bum...thats hilarious. If it were in a movie, you would laugh your head off. Cheers to the students enjoying a spring day and a green beer. 2△

▽ • Share › William Murdoch > hamburking • 2 years ago

First of all, Union Street is not a "neighbourhood". Second, as a student myself I am not intruding on my own campus. Thirdly, I have plenty of patience, I just don't have patience for that. Fourth, it's not hilarious - he did it to be deliberately rude and to upset me, because he knows that as a driver there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. And finally, if that really is your attitude I hope you don't have kids yourself and I hope you're not planning to. Cheers to the students enjoying a spring day and a green beer, and who also showed respect to the people around them and did their best to prove that we can have St. Patrick's Day celebrations without being babysat by the police 10 △

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hamburking > William Murdoch • 2 years ago

If it were really your neigbourhood, you would have been out there with the revelers. Why else would you be driving down Union street...to go home to your parents house in the burbs perhaps? Also, students make great neighbours for families with kids. They demonstrate ambition and academic excellence by attending a great university. And they also show us how to have fun and enjoy life along the way. Queen's isn't just where you go to school. It's where you meet your future wife, and your life long friends. Next time, I recommend you stop your car, step out, and show them your butt too! Life is too short. Be happy. Enjoy the moment. Have kids. Teach them to howl at the moon. 1△

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William Murdoch > hamburking • 2 years ago

Well my parents live in Scotland, so no I was not on my way to see them. You have quite a generous opinion of Queen's, and in the past it might have been true. I have been at this school for a very long time, so I probably know at least as much about it as you do. There are a small percentage of students who will go on to make a real difference as doctors, lawyers, and other highly-qualified professionals; the rest will settle for mediocre jobs that are entirely unrelated to their field of study, and they are only admitted because the university needs their money. By living in the university district, your children might aspire to go to university, and that's a good thing. But, they will also see that as a university student you don't have to follow any rules, you don't have to show any decency, and you don't have to accept any responsibility for what you do. In the professional world, people don't behave this way because there are consequences; in university, there are not. And that is not a good lesson to learn. 3△

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Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > hamburking • 2 years ago

I lived on University Ave. and rented to Queen students for 12 years...I have 4 sons, I decided to move when my boys started mimicking all the crap these students were getting away with in public...i.e. the chain gang with their pants down around their ankles shuffling down University Ave. , running naked around Victoria Park where my sons played with socks over their penises, they bribed my oldest who was 10 at the time to climb to the top of their chimney and stand up there and cheer, YES awesome neighbours...get a grip hamberking...you know nothing of nothing when it comes to these students...they treat our city like a big playpen and the guy with the cart is the only one in there that is truly living... 2△

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hamburking > Ashley • 2 years ago

Wow, 30kph instead of the 40kph legal limit...you must have been hours late. And BTW, its a neighbourhood were there ARE lots of kindergartners walking about...so slow down, watch out for pedestrians, and shut up. 3△

▽ • Share › Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > hamburking • 2 years ago

They are arrogant nincompoops and break the laws and get away with it 3△

▽ • Share › hamburking > Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney • 2 years ago

Those "nincompoops" are some of the brightest people in Canada. Their future is so bright, they have to wear shades. I'm proud of these hard working students. If they want to have a green beer on a sunshiny spring day, let em! The real criminals are the drunk drivers who are reported in these pages almost every day, and receive no jail time.

△ ▽ • Share › Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > hamburking • 2 years ago

no smarts at all...lol...these people don't even know how to cross a street properly or know what to do if they ever found themselves unemployed other than cry to mommy or daddy...yes they are our Future...yeehaw...only about 20% of them will ever amount to anything... 2△

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hamburking > Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney • 2 years ago

And when they were babies, their mommies changed their diapers.

△ ▽ • Share › Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > hamburking • 2 years ago

squirrel??? wtf does that mean.? That they are still babies? huh?

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Ashley > hamburking • 2 years ago

Book smart, maybe - street smart? Not so much. Look both ways kiddies, or you won't make it to your 21st birthday 3△

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hamburking > Ashley • 2 years ago

On your next visit to your oncologist, neonatal surgeon, or gynacologist, would your rather he was book smart or street smart? In 10 years these guys are our doctors, lawyers, CEOs, bankers, etc. Get your jabs in now. My glass is half full. Yours is full to the top with piss and vinegar.

△ ▽ • Share › Menton79 > Ashley • 2 years ago

You shouldn't have slowed down. 6△

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Guest > Ashley • 2 years ago

oh boo hoo, couldn't do your usual 85km/hr while texting. 7△

▽ • Share › KJ_in_Kingston > Guest • 2 years ago

Pity it wasn't you out in the roadway -- then Ashley wouldn't have had to brake. 5△

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KJ_in_Kingston • 2 years ago

Lots of money in the police budget for this I'm sure.... 9△

▽ • Share › hamburking > KJ_in_Kingston • 2 years ago

The police were the only ones who drove there. Everyone else used active transportation. Where is that mentioned in the article?

△ ▽ • Share › Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > hamburking • 2 years ago

Us cabbies refuse all calls for Aberdeen because of the glass and garbage and the students infantile behaviors 1△

▽ • Share › hamburking > Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney • 2 years ago

They use Uber. Better service. 3△

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Tanya Morgan-Zagrodney > hamburking • 2 years ago

Better Illegal Service...unprofessional and not regulated by politicians with the safety of the public in their best interest...

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Dave > KJ_in_Kingston • 2 years ago

"Lot's" of reasons KJ needs to go back and get his grade 11 6△

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hamburking • 2 years ago

Bike power...Yeah! 3△

▽ • Share › Guest > hamburking • 2 years ago

In my country we use only because we cannot afford the car. If we can afford the car we would drive all the places. The bicycle is the poor peoples tranasportations 1△

▽ • Share › hamburking > Guest • 2 years ago

Here it is the opposite. The poor spend all their money to have a crappy old car. Only the rich can afford the time, pleasure, and good health of riding a bike.

△ ▽ • Share › goodwords • 2 years ago

Way to go, Roy! 4△

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