All Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Critical Systems Handle Year 2000 Transition Without A Hiccup

Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) experienced no critical systems problems after testing was completed today and it will be business-as-usual on Monday January 3, 2000. Work on the Exchange's Year 2000 project started in 1997 and has been a primary focus of staff, and in particular the Information Technology Department, ever since. "Our comprehensive planning, preparation and testing process left us confident that all our systems would pass the Year 2000 changeover without major problems and we are pleased that everything went so well," said Doug Betz, Director of Information Systems. As a recognized stakeholder in the capital markets of Canada, the Exchange was one of the participants in the Self-Assessment Infrastructure Report, initiated by the Canadian Securities Administrators. WCE is a not-for-profit organization and Canada's only agricultural futures and options exchange. WCE offers futures contracts on canola, flaxseed, domestic feed wheat, western barley, oats and field peas. Options contracts are available on canola, flaxseed, feed wheat and western barley.