TORONTO -- It was supposed to be an innocent bit of glad-handing for Canada's Olympic Team, but it turned into Mittengate after the NDP complained red and white Maple Leaf mittens for the event were made in China.

"The mittens were not Ontario-made mittens," NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said after a photo- op at Queen's Park.

"So we thought that it would be a good symbol to show that we support Ontario workers and so we have mittens that were made right here in Toronto," she said.

Liberal MPP Jean Marc Lalonde organized the event along with the office of Speaker Steve Peters to honour Canadian athletes at the Vancouver Olympic Games, opening in February.

The idea was to get all 107 Ontario MPPs posing together with red mittens bought from the Bay sporting the Olympic rings and a Maple Leaf. The Bay in turn would donate a portion of the $10.80 price to Canada's Olympic team.

Lalonde arranged for MPPs to buy the mitts, but when the NDP realized where they were produced, they balked and instead appeared at the photo op in locally made red mitts, which they said cost only 15 cents more.

Lalonde said he searched high and low for local Olympic gear and simply couldn't find it.

"I'm disappointed," he said.

"I was very surprised and concerned," Lalonde said. "Let's hope that when the Pan Am Games come, we'll have material that is made here in Canada."

Toronto and surrounding communities are hosting the Pan Games in 2015.

JONATHAN.JENKINS@SUNMEDIA.CA