...happening in and around Queen's Park.

* A lawyer with the city of Windsor is despairing that his border city lacks some of the patriotism on display across the river in Detroit. To remedy this lack of Canadian pride, Peter Hrastovec is suggesting the city erect a 150-foot tall flagpole to fly a Canadian flag measuring 20 metres by 10 metres long.

“It’s going to be quite noticeable … oh, it’s big,” Hrastovec told the Windsor Star.

* The sale of a former Ontario government office complex in Guelph is expected to conclude early this year.

“Infrastructure Ontario received many positive responses (relating to the proposed sale of the property on 1 Stone Rd. W.) and established a list of qualified potential bidders with the required experience, expertise and financial strength to manage the buildings,” Energy Ministry spokeswoman Heather Kamps told the Guelph Mercury.

The sale is one of eight similar buildings being sold across the province as the government attempts to collect additional revenue to pay down the $14 billion deficit.

* Sam Merulla is in no way the Grinch who stole Christmas.

But the Hamilton council member thinks it is disrespectful to begin celebrating Christmas before Remembrance Day.

That’s why Merulla has proposed a bylaw that, if passed, would outlaw the erection of a Christmas tree in front of city hall or staging the annual Santa Claus parade before Nov. 11.

The bylaw, which comes before council for consideration Jan. 23, would be the first such measure adopted in Ontario.

Last year a Christmas tree was up and the city held its Santa Claus parade the day before Remembrance Day.

* Residents of Sudbury are frustrated the city is considering eliminating the position of auditor general (currently held by Brian Bigger), an action that “speaks volumes about the depths to which many council members will sink to avoid transparency,” according to one opinion writer.

“First, they attempted to thwart the provincial ombudsman over his investigation of secretive meetings, now they seek to remove the only eyes the citizens have into their actions,” writes J. Grubber from Greater Sudbury. “It is an unconscionable outrage.”

* The City of Hamilton has paid $376,000 to an Ottawa-based marketing firm to run a web-based campaign promoting city services, but in the bargain got a lot of unexpected free publicity. Unfortunately, it was all bad publicity.

As reported by the Hamilton Spectator, the Ottawa firm set up a website, a Twitter handle @ourhamilton, and a Pinterest page promoting city services under the theme “Our Voice, Our Hamilton.” The person who was managing the Twitter site appeared not to know that “HSR” stands for Hamilton Street Railway, the city’s transit system, and the Pinterest page included images of a courthouse in Hamilton, Ohio, and a T-shirt from Hamilton, Wash.

* A $200,000 proposal to market the City of London is on ice, but in a good way.

The city’s corporate services committee approved a plan to market the city during the World Figure Skating Championships being held in London in March.

“This is the most important thing that this city will do, I think, in its lifetime,” Mayor Joe Fontana told the London Free Press. “This is about as big as it gets.”

The campaign will place signs and banners around town featuring a new logo and the slogan “Canada’s London.” The proposal is expected to pass when it goes before council later this month.

Tweet of the Day

@anthonyfurey
Tomorrow @timhudak launches the "multimedia presentation" When The Money Runs Out at the Miles Nadal theatre (performance art?!) #ONpoli
- Sun Media national affairs columnist Anthony Furey comments on Tory Leader Tim Hudak's next policy paper release.

Quotes of the Day

"We are totally preoccupied by battles over what we don't want placed here, there or anywhere."
- Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller on the state of dialogue regarding Ontario's energy future, referencing the struggle over where to locate the former Mississauga and Oakville gas plants.

"I gotta tell you, I wouldn’t want it in my neighbourhood."
- Ontario Lottery and Gaming chairman Paul Godfrey on the challenges of bringing a casino to Toronto.

Seen, heard, happening …

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