A proposed $59-million busway along Pembina Highway sparked a heated debate in civic works and operations committee yesterday that required a 15-minute cooling-off period.

Coun. Evelyn Reese (Langevin) and Coun. Chris Lorenc (Sisler) squared off, with Reese demanding the committee chairman stop acting like a schoolyard "bully" and "the king of England."

Shouting at Lorenc, Reese accused him of lecturing her and other councillors as if they were children.

Reese threatened to hold up the committee proceedings unless Lorenc "behaves."

Lorenc finally agreed to a request from Coun. George Fraser (St. Charles) for a recess to allow tempers to cool.

The quarrel occurred during a three-hour debate on whether diesel buses or an electrically-run, but more expensive, light rail transit system should be used in the corridor to serve south Winnipeg.

In the end, the committee rejected the busway proposal 4-2.

Lorenc said he will take the negative recommendations to executive policy committee and city council.

Reese said she wanted a decision on the busway postponed until January so she could get more information on a $120-million electric trolley system and a $250-million electric light rail system.

She said that's when Lorenc started lecturing, triggering her outburst.

Reese and Coun. Harry Lazarenko (Mynarski) charged an administration report recommending the busway — prepared by a group of transit officials — was "totally biased."

They said the group was influenced by oil and automobile lobbies that do not want to see an electric transit system taking away their business.

The automobile and oil industries fear a cleaner and better transit system will prompt more people to leave their cars at home, they said.

Transit manager Rick Borland and works commissioner Rod McRae rejected suggestions their officials were biased or influenced by any lobby group.

McRae said the city has been debating an electric transit system for almost 17 years. If the city doesn't act now, it could create serious traffic problems before the end of the decade, he warned.

McRae noted council took a firm decision to dismantle its trolley system and go for diesel buses in 1973.

"It was a deadly decision," Lazarenko retorted.

Lorenc and McRae said Winnipeg doesn't have the money to go for light rail transit. They argued the proposed busway gives the option to convert to electrically-run transit trains in the future.