. . . at Queen's Park, across Ontario and elsewhere.

* Fifteen minutes or it’s free. No, it’s not the new Pizza Pizza takeout slogan or something worthy of Herman Cain’s failed presidential bid. It’s the Ontario’s government’s new guarantee.

If you’re GO train is more than 15 minutes late, it’s free — well, sort of. Your next ride is actually free after your Presto Card is topped or you receive a voucher from GO staff. Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli announced Wednesday that the new credit system kicks in on Thursday.

* The NDP’s transportation critic Rosario Marchese is urging the government to release its long-awaited cycling strategy. It seems the removal of the Jarvis St. bike lanes proved a tipping point for the Trinity-Spadina MPP.

* A group that included Leamington Mayor John Paterson went to Ottawa last week to press for changes to a recent decision to de-regulate the sizes of packaged foods but got little joy from Minster of Agriculture Gerry Ritz, who sent his aides to the meeting.

“They were not very accommodating at all,” Paterson told the Leamington Post. “They took the stance that it was already passed and we should get over it.”

Industry officials fear the removal of packaging restrictions could open the doors to a flood of U.S. imports and lead to the closing of food processing plants across Canada.

* Tory MPP's Vic Fedeli and Bill Walker stopped by Chapman's Ice Cream headquarters in Markdale to visit with David Chapman and Penny Chapman and sample some of the latest ice cream cones Wednesday – and (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) to talk about high energy prices.

* Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner announced Wednesday he will run in Guelph in the next provincial election after having run and lost in Simcoe West in the 2011 general election to Tory MPP Jim Wilson and to Liberal Rick Johnson in a 2009 by-election in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock.

“Guelph is the most forward looking community in Ontario. We need to bring the kind of leadership this community shows to Queen’s Park,” Schreiner said in a written statement.

“As MPP for Guelph, I will put the people of Guelph ahead of partisan political games. I will not play politics as usual.”

* A call centre in downtown London is set to close early next year with the loss of more than 100 jobs. Transcom, which opened the facility in 2008, reportedly told employees that the work is being moved to the Philippines.

* Pocedural wrangling over an estimated $1.8 million in savings from rate programs are in limbo after Niagara regional council apparently broke its own rules by putting the money back into the capital budget.

* The City of Stratford will set up a not-for-profit economic development corporation with its own board of directors and chief executive officer. City council approved the move in an 8-3 but Councillor Kerry McManus said: “I am not convinced there's an identified need.”

Tweets of the Day

@Dalton_McGuinty: I just took the FB Be Bold Stop Bullying pledge with many others across the country. Will you?

- a tweet from Premier Dalton McGuinty Wednesday that may have backfired, as many suggested he probably should have stopped bullying Ontario’s teachers before taking the pledge

@TeamHeadwaters: @timhudak Do you also have a plan to protectOntario's $30B agri-food sector from projects like theHighland#megaquarry? #onpoli

- A group of Ontarians concerned with the Baupost/Highland mega quarry pose a question for Tory leader Tim Hudak.

Quotes of the Day

“There are pressing problems in the province of Ontario. There is a crisis economically here. We are looking at an Ontario right now that is where Greece was 10 or 20 years ago. That’s not an exaggeration.”

- Tory finance critic Peter Shurman speaking with reporters on Wednesday

Seen, heard, happening . . .

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