Toronto Mayor John Tory is saying sorry to a group of euchre playing seniors and asking bureaucrats to stand down.
Tory is requesting a reassignment of the "anti-fun police" after the city clamped down on a long-standing euchre game in Scarborough community centres.
The city launched an investigation into gambling in community centres after receiving complaints that big money was changing hands.
The seniors say they paid $1.25 to buy into euchre games with the winners earning a pot of up to $40.
City officials told them the buy-in meant they were technically gambling, which was against the rules.
They ordered the seniors to drop the buy-in to $0.25 during the investigation.
The seniors thought the whole thing was ridiculous and it sounds like the mayor agrees.
John Tory says in a statement:
"We should be doing everything possible to ensure our community centres are welcoming places for everyone, especially our seniors.
Getting together and doing things like playing euchre will keep seniors happier and healthier
I've asked the general manager of parks and recreation to stand down and reassign the 'anti-fun police.'
We have so many other things to do as a City so I have expressed the firm view that these investigations should be suspended, the original buy-in fee reinstated and most importantly that we just let the seniors play!
I am sure if there is any danger of Las Vegas-style gambling breaking out en masse in our community centres we will know about it. In the meantime I will be speaking to some of the seniors involved to offer an apology from the Mayor and to tell them we are fixing this immediately."