A city council committee meeting came to an abrupt halt Friday as opponents of a plan to cut community centre hours walked out.
The conflict started when Coun. David Shiner tried to raise a motion to keep the centres open on Mondays at the Community and Recreation Committee meeting.
Chairman Joe Mihevc rejected the motion, telling Shiner he didn't have the authority to deal with the issue. Shiner responded angrily.
"You know, you can't stop this city! The mayor has already ... closed community centres without any permission from anyone or any support from his council," he shouted.
"Enough is enough is enough!"
Coun. Frances Nunziata also reacted, calling Mihevc a "dictator."
Shiner, Nunziata and Coun. Maria Augimeri then walked out of the meeting.
Augimeri came back shortly after and began screaming at Mihevc. When the chair asked her to relax, she yelled "no" several times.
Nunziata told CTV News the closures are making her constituents wonder who's in charge.
"The question is ... exactly who is running city hall? Is it the mayor ... or is it council?"
While city council is divided over the issue, parents such as Lisa Smith are wondering what they're going to do with their children after swimming, arts and after-school programs are slashed.
"It will be huge if that day's gone -- what, do we all not work on Mondays?"
The closures, which are set to begin Sept. 17, are part of several cuts proposed to tackle the city's cash crunch.
With a report from CTV's Desmond Brown
