I believe that the 2009 model year for the Camaro to re-appear is due to the Canada-U.S. Auto-pact and the labour relations. (These issues are common to the foreign car manufacturers in the U.S., as well.)
The Auto-pact requires G.M. to produce a "new" model in a Canadian plant (since they closed the F-body plant in Quebec in 2002). Also, due to the closure of that plant, G.M. was not able to open another plant, in Canada, for five years - a labour agreement issue regarding workers from the Quebec plant (or, likewise, in any other plant, if they were to close any plant). Therefore, January 1, 2008 marks the date after which G.M. is able to produce a car, similar to the F-body (RWD Camaro/Firebird) in a plant in Canada.
In short, the delay in building a new Camaro (or Firebird) is a result of very complicated labour and auto-pact issues.
Another issue requires G.M., since they are selling cars in Canada, to build cars in Canada. The same principle applies to foreign cars sold in the U.S. - eg. Toyota must build cars in the U.S. if they intend to sell them in the U.S.
An even more complicated situation involves the fact that G.M. can't sell the Pontiac GTO in Canada! We won't go there!!!
Safice it to say that we will just have to be patient, and wait for the Camaro's arrival sometime in 2008 - I would expect the Camaro in Chevy showrooms in the spring of 2008 (as a 2009 model), likely in May.