As you can tell, Citizenship by Descent gets confusing. It depends on when you were born, when your parent(s) was born, and various changes to the law over the years. Its not surprising that CIC might need a senior person to review it. Still, it shouldn't take over a year to get a decision. However, CIC hasn't been known for expedient client service the last several years. It might take a little noise to get the ball rolling.
Have you considered consulting with an actual citizenship/immigration lawyer in Canada to determine if you actually qualify? It might be worth the $150 consultation fee to get an expert answer more quickly than CIC will give you.