It's been one year since the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) closed its Cornwall Island Port of Entry station and brought regular traffic on the Seaway International Bridge to a halt for 42 days, when a "temporary" port was opened.
While traffic continues to flow back and forth, things are anything but normal.
At peak times, northbound traffic has been delayed for as long as 60 minutes.
In the past 12 months there has been no indication that a solution to the dispute between the CBSA and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne over the arming of border guards is imminent.
Far from it. There is good reason to believe that the "temporary" port at the bottom of the Seaway International Bridge will be there next June 1.
In fact, city officials have stopped referring to as a "temporary" setup. They now call it an "interim" site.
Where else can it go?
Moving back to the island is one of four options mentioned by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
At this point, it isn't an option.
The MCA isn't ready to cave in and approve the arming of border guards on Akwesasne territory. The Public Safety Minister has taken the firm position that guards will be armed, on the island or off the island. The union says it won't return to the island, sidearms or no sidearms.
That leaves two options: Stay put until the new low level bridge is construction and keep the Port of Entry in Cornwall, or negotiate with the U.S. to build the Canadian Port of Entry on the U.S. side.
The problem with waiting for the low level bridge is that nobody seems to know when construction will begin.
It could be years away.
MP Guy Lauzon talks about millions of dollars earmarked by his government for construction of a new bridge, but can't offer a guess as to when construction will begin.
The time line for construction of a Port of Entry on the U.S. side wouldn't be much quicker.
Logistics, issues of security and jurisdiction would be mind boggling.
After all, not that long ago the U.S. was considering a "Berlin" style fence to protect itself from what it considered a less-than-secure Canadian border.
If there is a silver lining in all of this it is that the Port of Entry issue and the slim chance of reopening the island custom station might push the feds to fast track the low level bridge plans.
Regardless, we're now talking years, not months.