CORNWALL - Officials with the Canada Border Services Agency and Akwesasne Mohawk Council appear no closer towards reaching an agreement on the closed Cornwall border crossing following a Thursday meeting.
The federal government and its border agents remain committed to the presence of firearms along the Canada-U.S. border, meaning the crossing will remain closed indefinitely until a temporary or permanent solution comes to fruition.
"The CBSA will re-open the port when its officers can work there safely with all of the tools they need to do their job, including their duty firearm," said spokeswoman Tracie LeBlanc in a late-afternoon statement to CTV Ottawa.
LeBlanc added that government remains committed to reaching an interim plan in conjunction with the Akwesasne Mohawks.
A tentative agreement to open a temporary crossing nearby during an eight-month test period was rejected earlier this week by the union representing border guards, said Brendan White, a Mohawk spokesman.
Akwesasne Mohawks want the crossing moved from their reserve to the foot of the bridge in Cornwall itself. Or, they want CBSA agents to remain unarmed but protected by RCMP and Mohawk police officers.
The Customs and Immigration Union is adamantly opposed to returning to work at Cornwall Island without weapons. In fact, they want the office moved of the island.
The federal government closed the crossing in advance of planned protests by the Akwesasne Mohawk First Nation over the arming of border guards on June 1.
Some crossings into Canada allowed
The Canadian border post remains abandoned, prohibiting entry into the country. But even though the crossing has been closed for 39 days, some people are managing to get across.
Akwesasne residents, who straddle the border, were apparently being let into Canada for a short time without passing through Customs.
New York State police aren't taking responsibility, saying their responsibility is limited to assisting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.
Word soon spread, and the crossing was shut down again. CTV Ottawa was told Thursday that if you want to come to Canada, go to another checkpoint.
Cornwall mayor optimistic of compromise
The issue has been an ongoing dispute between the government and Mohawks, who have staged several protests over guns at the border, which is located on Akwesasne territory.
While the Mohawk Council insists guns at the border aren't necessary, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan says the government is committed to following through with a promise to arm Canada's border guards.
"The longer they talk, the more likely that it will be productive and we can reach a resolution to the border crossing and our issues with CBSA," White told CTV Ottawa Thursday.
Cornwall Mayor Bob Kilger was not part of the talks but is hopeful for an updated compromise that will resume cross-border activity and resuscitate suffering businesses and tourist attractions.
Under normal circumstances, it takes about 10 minutes to cross the border at Cornwall Island. Now, travellers are being rerouted to either Prescott, Ont. or Dundee, Que., making a simple cross-border trip to Cornwall an hour-and-a-half drive.
The Cornwall border crossing handles more than 2.5 million trips each year with commercial and tourist traffic accounting for at least one million trips, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem and files from The Canadian Press