Cornwall businesses hurt by border post move

The relocation of a Canadian border post after a dispute with the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory hasn't resolved the hardship endured by businesses in Cornwall, Ont., and nearby Cornwall Island.

Bill Dillabough, who runs the Cornwall Pizza Hut, said his business is losing about $2,000 a week compared to before the dispute in June because he can no longer deliver to customers on Cornwall Island.

"It takes my drivers too long to get back," said Dillabough. "I can't afford to do that with my drivers 'cause they won't make any money."

The island is entirely on the Canadian side of the border, but south of the new border post, which is at the north end of the Seaway International Bridge. That means people passing between Cornwall and Cornwall Island are now required to stop there, even though they never leave Canada, and a trip from the Pizza Hut of less than three kilometres each way now takes 30 to 40 minutes.

The border post used to be located on the island, so no one passing between Cornwall and Cornwall Island had to visit it.

But it was moved in July to resolve the dispute with the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, which spans the Canada-U.S. border and includes Cornwall Island.

The border crossing had been shut down in June after Mohawks set up a camp there to protest a new federal policy of arming border guards with 9-mm handguns, saying the weapons violated their sovereignty and increased the likelihood of violent confrontations. The closure had hurt businesses on both sides of the border.

Now that the crossing has reopened, things are looking up for businesses such Kim Sabourin's Cornwall home décor store.

"We're starting to see some of our regular customers coming back across," she said. "Definitely, we're starting to see an improvement."

But she said things aren't back to 100 per cent, especially since people have to show an enhanced driver's licence or a passport in order to crossed the border, a requirement that took effect this summer.

Sabourin added that some customers have mentioned that the lineups at the bridge are heavy these days, now that there is additional traffic at the border post from people not crossing the border.