Though a lot of us can certainly empathize on the stress the length of wait is taking, as I've said in other threads I've responded to before, since you are applying as a refugee, I would think waiting a long time is so much better than the persecution/danger waiting for you in your home country right?
You can certainly try the economic stream, which really may be faster than your asylum claim.
That is exactly what asylum claim is for. To keep you safe in a first place. The advantage of Canada is also, that you will get a work permit while waiting for your claim to be decided and also while waiting for your PR.
The price for it is clear - not being able to reach certain services or being restricted to travel.
On practical level, refugee claims are usually long stories that somebody has to read in detail. They do involve countries with dubious regime, where somebody still has to check you in order to find out those that are abusing the system.
All that takes time. Against it is also requirement for special trained personnel in Canada. So with a limited budged that is all you get.
Canada is not a world savior (and no country is actually), so it can only to as much as it can afford to.
Its national priority is in Economic immigration and in spousal sponsorship, so those are the ones that can get through faster.
For a comparison, you have different approaches in different countries. Some of them practically never grand permanent residency and citizenship. Others do recheck situation in your country every 3-4 years to determine if you still need asylum or not.
And yes many of them do prevent family reunion during first 4-5 years or more.
I would say the requirement in Canada is mild compared to that. Once your PR is granted you have the same pathway to citizenship as everybody else (of course unless you decide to reavail to your country again).
