As it was a transit corridor linking greater economic powers, Eastern Ontario has long been a region known for independence and enterprise. One inevitable aspect of being a major trade route and border zone is smuggling. This has a remarkably long tradition, but formal recognition and notoriety increased in the 1920s, during the Prohibition period in US history. Smuggling remains a major local concern, even today. Current plans in Cornwall and the area call for dismantling its reputation as "smugglers' alley".