A group of angry propane blast victims got a piece of City Coun. Maria Augimeri's mind on Wednesday after accusing the councillor of trying to divide residents in their response to the weekend's explosion.

"If people have problems of a partisan nature, they should not use the death of a firefighter or anything associated with a disaster to deal with it... so shut up!" she said, blasting a local resident in full view of several television cameras.

Augimeri, the councillor representing the neighbourhood affected by the propane explosion, was appearing at an asbestos safety information session hosted by the city when she made the outburst Wednesday evening.

It came just one day after area residents hosted a special mass to honour firefighter Bob Leek, who died while helping Downsview residents get out of the neighbourhood after Sunday's explosion.

Many residents who attended the meeting lashed out at Augimeri, who just returned from vacation in Italy, when she announced the city would hold a public meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Ancaster Ratepayers Association, a local community group, had already arranged to hold a post-explosion community meeting during the same date and time.

The community meeting is set for a venue near the blast site, while the city-sponsored event is to be held on the other side of the ward.

"Why is there two meetings?" asks one resident, a male senior citizen. "(The City is) trying to split the community."

About 50 Downsview-area residents attended Wednesday's meeting, many expressing rage over what they see as a lack of reliable information on the safety of their neighbourhood.

Many returned to their homes after the blast to see a mysterious white substance coating their lawns. While some areas covered with the substance have been cordoned off, others have been ignored -- leaving citizens questioning the city's safety criteria.

"We just want to be happy, we just want to make sure our homes our safe," says one female resident. "Just make us happy. Just tell us it's safe to live here. Why can't they go home-by-home... and talk to us?"

Augimeri seemed prepared to do just that until she was confronted by vocally angry constituents.

While she began the meeting with confidence, the councillor quickly lost her cool, appearing visibly shaken by the very public exchange.

The meeting, held outdoors near the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Murray Road, ended abruptly after the confrontation.

The councillor was accompanied by asbestos experts and public health officials, who assured residents that asbestos poses a risk only when inhaled in large amounts, not when "exceedingly" small amounts are inhaled or solid chunks of the substance remains undisturbed.

The soft "crumbly" type was spewed around the community.

"There is not a significant asbestos hazard at this point," said Dr. Don Pinchin.

"If it were my child, I would not be worried," added acting medical officer of health Barbara Yaffe. "We know the problem is in long-term exposure."

Residents say they don't believe the city is giving them accurate information about the asbestos, noting that while the city says the area is safe, other cancer experts have said the threat is significant.