Last night I attended a neighbourhood meeting organized to inform and educate my community on a re-zoning application before city council. Councillor Bruce Court and Councillor Joe Mott were both in attendance (I assume by request) to listen to the resident's concern over the application. They kicked off the meeting by explaining that they could not offer an opinion to us as it would result in a conflict of interest when the time came to vote in council chambers, but they did want to offer their respect by attending. 

Initially, I was pleased they took the time to show up, and they did exactly as they said they would by sitting at the back of the room and took it all in. It was a fairly orderly meeting despite the unexpected high turnout, lack of an agenda, and high tension in the room. Overall, people were not thrilled with the re-zoning application, and as all these things tend to do, it devolved at one point into a group vent about poor snow removal and city services. We settled on a path forward, people volunteered, and we have an action plan. True grassroots organization at its best. That was until I heard shouting. 

This is during the second interval, Court is inches from her face

As people were mingling at the end of the meeting taking the rare opportunity to meet and catch up with neighbours I heard a lady yell "you assured me it wouldn't happen and it did!" I looked over to see a petite dark haired women and our East Side Representative, Councillor Bruce Court, in a very heated exchange. He was in her face, yelling at her, and pointing a finger at her nose. This went on for a minute or so, when eventually he put his hand, palm out, in her face and walked toward the front of the room. He spoke to the women who organized the meeting, brought her back to the petite dark-haired women, where he continued to yell at her for a further 30 seconds. He put up his hand again in her face, and walked out. She followed him and continued to yell, "You’re not listening to me". 

Somewhere in that exchange I gathered Councillor Court felt he was being called a liar, and she felt he had not represented her well. Regardless, this exchange was embarrassing and completely unprofessional! Under no circumstances should a city councillor lose their cool like that in a public place in front of other constituents. And he did lose it. I don't really care what his defence is; or what she said to him. If he can't handle the heat, he should not be on council. 

I would suggest to Bruce Court that he should resign immediately, and it is no wonder people are fed up with City Council. If that is our city representation at its best, I am mortified. Councillor Court, you should be ashamed of yourself and it is time to step down.