Maybe it's a case of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews finally getting around to reading his mail ... and discovering that the mayor of Cornwall, Bob Kilger, had sent him an official letter concerning the bridge/border issue.
But it probably has more to do with the fact two Liberal MPs -Mark HOlland and Todd Russell -were in Cornwall Wednesday to criticize the way the minister has handled the issue ... and his arrogant snub of the mayor.
The tardy Toews response arrived at the mayor's office on the eve of the MPs' visit.
No doubt in an attempt to get the message out as quickly as possible, this newspaper was given a copy of the letter by the minister's office before the mayor received his.
We informed the mayor that the letter was on its way. We even read parts of it to him.
Talk about trampling protocol.
It may not be a case of two Liberal MPs moving a mountain, but it certainly managed something MP Guy Lauzon wasn't able to do: Convince the minister to at least acknowledge the mayor's letter of Jan. 27.
The so-called temporary border crossing may not show up on the national radar screen, but the Liberals certainly will be turning into an election issue when the minority Conservative government falls and Lauzon seeks re-election.
Liberal candidate Bernadette Clement wasted no time weighing in on the issue after receiving the riding association's nod last August.
Lauzon has been criticized for a perceived lack of action on the issue, but Toews has risen to his defence. Of course, what else was he expected to do?
In the letter he didn't feel like sending two months ago, Toews praised the government caucus chair, saying he "served as a key interlocutor, ensuring that the views of Cornwall and area residents are known and accounted for."
He also says that the MP has played a "key role" in ensuring the continuation of an open and functional port of entry in Cornwall.
The fact is, the mayor of this city played the key role in getting the border open back in June when he helped make city property available to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), otherwise the border would still be closed and the MP would be catching a lot more flak.
This is something Toews and company should take into consideration the next time they snub the mayor of this city.