Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 05/99) - The North's Workers' Compensation Board will continue as a combined entity, WCB chairperson JoAnne Deneron revealed.

The WCB will remain united until at least the end of 2002.

An inter-governmental agreement, signed by John Todd, now former NWT minister responsible for the WCB, and Nunavut Interim Commissioner Joe Kunuk, outlines how the shared WCB will be governed.

"The signing of the agreement ensures that service to our stakeholders will not be disrupted," Deneron said.

"We will continue to place the highest priority on accident prevention in the workplace and the provision of quality rehabilitation services and fair compensation to injured workers throughout the NWT and Nunavut."

The agreement is based on amendments to the NWT and Nunavut Workers' Compensation Acts which were passed in December, 1998.

The amendments and the agreement enable the existing WCB to continue after April 1, 1999, as the WCB for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

As well, the agreement provides for the possible extension of the shared agreement beyond Dec. 31, 2002.