welcome welcome
Looks like you've submitted your application around the same time I did, well I guess I'll have someone to talk too when most of the people in this forum get their PPR.
I understand your frustration, my wife was born in Iraq and had never traveled outside of Iraq, and it still too about 7 months to get her documents in order. You have to keep in mind though this is a country still in turmoil, with no proper organization and lots and lots of corruption. Personally i think to get any kind of paper work from there is an achievement in itself; I mean is took me almost a month just to get my marriage certificate because everyone I talked too says something else, or wants some "other" document, and so on.
Anyways I too don't blame Canada for tightening their security there is a lot of fraud happening. But 4 months for stage 1 is a little excessive, I mean we've all read the conditions that make one an eligible sponsor, so why the long wait ?.
I don't know maybe I'm just ranting, this month marks 1 years since I got married. ( Still in stage 1 ) :'(
Inshallah we will hear some good news soon