Nicole Gagnon, freelance performer and member of theAIIC, explains that the pandemic has accentuated an already glaring lack of qualified personnel.
According to her, the situation is such that some parliamentary activities can no longer be offered in both official languages, due to a lack of sufficient interpreters to provide the scarce resource
.
For now, we continue to serve the Senate and the House of Commons, we continue to serve parliamentary committees, but he has a host of other activities on the Hill on a daily basis.
, adds Ms. Gagnon.
Caucus meetings and certain meetings between parliamentarians are not priority
regarding interpretation, she said.
L’AIIC has been denouncing the effects of the Zoom virtual platform for months. In January, a report made by the organization revealed that seven in ten interpreters at the Translation Bureau of Canada have suffered a hearing injury since switching to virtual mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Freelance performers like Nicole Gagnon, who have been called in to assist, are also at risk of hearing injury.
A right, recalls Raymond Théberge
Nicole Gagnon notes that Canadians have a constitutional right
to be able to follow parliamentary proceedings in both official languages. If the Commissioner of Official Languages, Raymond Théberge, has not received a complaint on this issue since the start of the pandemic, he echoes Ms. Gagnon’s comments.
The Act also requires that the debates and other business of Parliament be interpreted simultaneously. I am aware, however, that the exceptional situation we have been experiencing since the start of the pandemic brings its share of technological challenges in terms of the organization of virtual meetings, and that this affects the demand for simultaneous interpretation.
, he says.
The Commissioner of Official Languages, Raymond Théberge
Photo : Radio-Canada / Angie Bonenfant
—
Although there are issues surrounding the interpretation of debates, I expect parliamentary meetings in the House of Commons or in committee to continue to be conducted in both official languages.
, continues Mr. Théberge.
He encourages the House of Commons to put in place measures to address the shortage of interpreters.
All Canadians must have access to parliamentary debates in the language of their choice; it is about their full and equal participation in the democracy of our country
, adds the Commissioner of Official Languages.
The House of Commons gets involved
Apparently sensitive to the fate of its interpreters, the House of Commons unanimously adopted on February 17 a declaration expressing its concern for the health and safety of all its performers
.
The declaration recognizes that the working conditions of interpreters have deteriorated since the start of the pandemic, affecting their ability to provide quality service in both official languages, a service essential to the work of parliamentarians
.
The Board of Trade is therefore asking Public Services and Procurement Canada, responsible for the Translation Bureau, to find a way to repair the sound problems raised by the interpreters.
In an email, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada assures us that the Parliament of Canada, on the advice of the Translation Bureau, replaced all of its interpretation consoles with models equipped with integrated sound limiters, which meet international standards
.
Insufficient succession
According to Nicole Gagnon, master’s-level interpreter training programs produce about five graduates per year in Canada, and that is too few.
The Masters in Conference Interpretation (MIC) programs available in Canada are only offered at the School of Translation and Interpretation at the University of Ottawa and at Glendon College at York University.
In 2020, the University of Ottawa program was not offered. The University did not respond to Radio-Canada’s request for an interview on this subject.
Nicole Gagnon, freelance interpreter and member of the International Association of Conference Interpreters
Photo: Radio-Canada
—
According to Public Services and Procurement Canada, [ont] agreed not to offer the MIC in 2020-2021because of the pandemic, they plan to relaunch the program for the 2021-2022 academic year “,” text “:” the Office and the University of Ottawa [ont] agreed not to offer the MIC program in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic, they plan to relaunch the program for the 2021-2022 academic year “}}” lang = “fr”>the Office and the University of Ottawa [ont] agreed not to offer the MIC in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic, they plan to relaunch the program for the 2021-2022 academic year.
The ministry ensures that the Translation Bureau is working relentlessly for decades to increase the number of qualified interpreters in its workforce and in its pool of freelancers
. He notes that the shortage of interpreters is felt all over the world.
Each year, the Bureau holds accreditation exams to expand its pool of qualified interpreters. In addition, he regularly participates in outreach activities to promote the profession of conference interpreting and attract interpreters.
, continues the spokesperson for the ministry.
The Translation Bureau regularly lends its interpreters to master’s programs to train the next generation.
However, for Nicole Gagnon, this is not enough. There is not enough investment in interpreter training
, she said, adding that the federal government should invest more money in this area, in order to remedy the problem in the long term.
How many interpreters?
The Translation Bureau employs 74 permanent interpreters, including:
- 63 in official languages (25 English cabins and 38 French cabins)
- 5 in foreign languages
- 6 in sign languages (3 in American Sign Language and 3 in Quebec Sign Language).
The Bureau also uses the services of over 100 private sector suppliers.
—
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