Chris:
Part of the confusion arises from the fact that each of the provinces has its own welding apprenticeship and certification board run by the provincial government. The provinces also had agreements to accept each others certifcation after completion of an inter-provincial written exam (completed after you attained "Journeyman" status - in Alberta, 3 yrs experience apprenticed to a journeyman, including 6 wks. of school and testing in each year). I am not really familiar with the histories of the Canadian Welding Association and the Canadian Welding Bureau, but I suspect both arose as a result of the need for international standards as trade expanded during and after WW II. The CWA is structured more like the AWS with chapters across the country and its own welding journal, while the CWB was operating various private training and testing facilities and providing services to corporations that required international qualification, in addition and in conjunction with provincial educational and testing facilities. It never made any sense, to me, to have the two organzations separate, as it worked against developing common national standards. For instance, a provincially certified Alberta journeyman might work his entire career without ever obtainiing CWB certification, until he had to obtain some part or test for it, as a result of a company requirement. Also, a CWB certified weldor might be required to take extra education or testing before working in Alberta or other provinces. So, it does seem sensible that they are finally merging.
However, the above only makes your problem more difficult. I wonder if you could contact someone in AWS administration who is responsible for international liason or for translating AWS standards for foreign use by weld inspectors? (Maybe whoever is in charge of this program?) http://www.aws.org/w/a/certification/reciprocity.html