Lunch hour in Welland, Ont., comes a little early. Seems 'round these parts the mid-day meal starts at 11, not 12.

Or at least, it does at the John Deere factory.

NDP Leader Jack Layton was scheduled to arrive just before 11 and start speaking right at 11, thus assuring himself an audience of lunch-breaking, soon-to-be-laid-off factory workers.

But the tour was a little late arriving, and from the minute Layton stepped off the bus, the crowd was anxious for him to start speaking.

"Hurry up, Jack," one worker shouted. "We've only got half an hour for lunch."

And Jack, to his credit, tried. But he wasn't fast enough.

By the time Layton finished talking most of the lunch crowd had gone back to work. It was 11:45.

— James Cudmore