Temporary solution to bridge-border dispute reached

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A portion of the Seaway International Bridge linking Canada and the United States is seen from the distance near Massena, NY, Friday, June 19, 2009. Canadian officials closed the bridge linking northern New York and Ontario, Canada, after Canadian Mohawks protested a plan to arm Canadian border agents in May, fearing escalated tensions and public-safety concerns because of the armed guards' proximity to residential areas. Heather Ainsworth

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July 13, 2009

Answers Mohawk anger with temporary border station in Cornwall; long-term fix awaited

By JACK DOWNS The Press Republican Mon Jul 13, 2009, 11:25 AM EDT

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CORNWALL, Ont. — Canadian officials will today unilaterally launch an interim solution to the six-week closure of the Seaway International Bridge: a temporary port of entry in Cornwall.

The new border station will open 6 a.m. at the base of the north span of the bridge.

The initiative, announced Sunday by the Canadian Border Services Agency, caught Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Spokesman Brendan White by surprise. High-level meetings between Akwesasne and Canadian officials had broken off Friday.

"We knew that a temporary solution was within reach, but I can't say much more until I see the statement," White said.

White said the Mohawks sought a short-term solution that would "enable border traffic to resume as soon as possible." However, the council also seeks a long-term solution that will address the underlying strife that led to the Mohawk protest and the closure of the bridge.

The Mohawk community opposed the Canadian plan to arm border guards on their territory.

"But it wasn't just the guns," White said, alleging a history of harassment and intimidation at the border station on Akwesasne land.

Canadian border workers have told Canadian media that they will never return to work in Akwesasne. Guards fled their post on Cornwall Island, which sits inside Akwesasne, June 1, expressing concerns about their safety following native protests over arming guards.

The Canadian agency news release Sunday included no specifics about a long-term solution.

"The CBSA also continues to explore all options concerning the long-term viability of the Cornwall port of entry," the agency said in the release.

"The CBSA will only reopen its facility when border services officers can work there safely with all of the tools they need to do their job, including their duty firearm."

— Canadian Press contributed
to this report