Cornwall checkpoint to remain temporary for another year

The Canadian Border Services Agency says deliberations over where to put a permanent port of entry between Massena and Cornwall, Ontario, are taking “longer than expected.”

In an e-mail, CBSA says the temporary checkpoint in the city of Cornwall will remain in place for another year.  And as you can see from the e-mail, a return to Cornwall Island appears highly likely:

All four options remain on the table, however, we are focused on options other than the Island.  We expect to remain at the current interim location for at least another year, as Mr. Portelance had advised the Mayor and the Grand Chief in July.

The CBSA will ensure to update all stakeholders in a timely fashion regarding the status of discussions.  The CBSA is very appreciative of the support provided by the Mayor, city councilors, the residents of the City of Cornwall and the residents of Akwesasne community.

The four options in question are:

1) Build a permanent facility in the city of Cornwall.

2)Return to the abandoned checkpoint on Cornwall Island.

3) Build a new facility in Massena, alongside the U.S. checkpoint.

4) Close the port of entry altogether.

That last option seems unfathomable, but there have been plenty of twists and turns to this story.  Go here to read/listen to the latest.