exactly, until we have full landing, there is still an uncertainty in the backs of our minds, what if the process fails and they tell us "no", and we have to quit our jobs and move to a far away country where we might not be able to earn a living, leaving our home country of Canada just to stay with our spouse. Our lives being completely ruined is still a possibility in the back of our minds until we have the PR approval. This is as close to life or death as possible in importance. The long delay doesn't help one's life situation either, being in limbo waiting to be able to apply for more school or just feeling confident in the future.
26 months is too long to torture applicants for. As a Canadian citizen I think we deserve better in being able to get the legal permanent residence process finished for our spouses in a more humane and timely fashion.