The cancer program for guiding patients through the often nebulous treatment, recovery or palliative care will not be axed after all.

The one-year pilot project known as the cancer navigator program, whose federal funding of approximately $100,000 expired in May, will get a new lease on life through the territorial Health department and the Yukon Hospital Corp.

"Finding funds has not been easy, with all the competing demands for service,” Health Minister Glenn Hart said today.

"However, through this new partnership with the hospital, we each take a piece of ownership for this program.”

In November 2009, members of the hospital corporation board managed to find the money to vote themselves a handsome increase to their honoraria.

Those members included board chair Craig Tuton, whose annual compensation zoomed from $3,600 to $34,800.

The hospital corporation was also able to find $80,000 to finance an advertising campaign trumpeting the construction of two new hospitals – one in Watson Lake and another in Dawson City.

However, NDP house leader Todd Hardy, himself stricken with leukemia, said today that for the amount of positive press the government squeezed from the program's announcement back in the summer of 2009, it was incumbent on the ruling Yukon Party to enable the program to continue.

"They trumpeted this decision but there was no real long-term commitment,” Hardy said, adding the federal government owns some of the blame.

"The feds have a tendency to throw money at something, deliver a program, then cut it and expect the territorial government to cover it. It creates the expectation then offloads it to provinces and territories.”

Before today's anouncement, Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell had called the apparent demise of the program a "shock” and a "disappointing decision” from Hart.