Since 1926, Homecoming at Queen’s has been an opportunity for alumni to reconnect on campus, to engage with students, staff, faculty, and friends, and to celebrate what it means to be part of an incredible community. However, this tradition is being overshadowed by unsanctioned street parties and alcohol misuse, which has led to serious concern for safety, overburdening of hospitals and emergency responders, and has strained the university’s relationship with the City of Kingston and wider community.

Earlier this year, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane struck a task force on street parties to build on Queen’s existing partnerships with the City of Kingston and community partners and to provide a forum to develop new and innovative approaches to address this issue. The task force has consulted with Queen's students, community members, and other interested and affected members of the Queen's and Kingston communities and plans to report back to the public later this fall with recommendations and an implementation strategy.

By way of this letter, we are requesting your support – as members of the Queen’s community – in promoting a safe, respectful, and inclusive Homecoming. There are several ways you can help:

On Oct. 28–30, we hope all alumni will stand together to protect the tradition of Homecoming. As your alumni volunteer organizations, we are proud of the accomplishments of our alumni community as individuals and as a network of more than 155,000 graduates in 155 countries around the world. These are the achievements that deserve to be celebrated, shared, and to define Queen’s.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback and hope to see you on campus.

Queen’s University Council and the Queen’s University Alumni Association Board of Directors

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