Blaring music. Boisterous crowds. Groups of drunk people passing your home in the middle of the night.
These are all common experiences for families living near the fraternities on the University of British Columbia campus, according to frustrated resident Aaron Goodman.
“It’s really unlivable,” Goodman said. “We’re kept up at night until past 3 a.m. virtually every other night.”
Goodman, who spent eight years earning two degrees at UBC, said his family moved into a home on campus believing it would be a great place to raise kids.
Instead they’ve been losing sleep multiple times a week for months. Even though it's summer break, the fraternities sublet to tourists, some of whom clearly keep up the partying lifestyle.
The worst part, according to Goodman, is that they can’t find anyone from the university or police who is both willing and able to help them.
“I’ve placed umpteen calls to RCMP and the frustration is no organization has been willing to take responsibility for it.”
The UBC RCMP detachment said officers always respond to noise complaints, and occupants of the fraternities usually agree to turn down their music when asked.
But Sgt. Drew Grainger said there’s little more Mounties can do because the frat houses fall under the university’s jurisdiction.
“There’s no enforceable bylaw here when it comes to the university endowment lands or UBC campus property,” Grainger said.
Officers have responded to a half-dozen complaints about the Greek Village so far this month. Grainger said each time, the RCMP forwards a report to the UBC administration, which has the power to issue disciplinary notices.
Those notices can also potentially escalate to fines, but actual financial penalties don’t appear to be common. A spokesperson for the university told CTV News there hasn’t been a fine issued in two years.
“The goal is to have a collaborative dialogue and look at problem solving measures first so they understand their responsibility to the community,” Matthew Ramsey said in an email.
The RCMP said the university could enact a bylaw that would give the local detachment the ability to issue fines for trouble-making fraternities, if it were interested. In the meantime, Grainger said officers will continue to respond to any noise complaints they receive.
That’s little comfort to residents like Goodman, who is fed up with waiting for someone to address the problem.
“I think it’s an embarrassment that the community of families and residents are… held hostage by a small number of hooligans who are making life unbearable here,” he said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Mi-Jung Lee
