Interpretation

Of all the professions in the world of translation, interpretation is surely the oldest. Yet Canadians have only been able to hear their representatives in Parliament speaking the language of their choice since 1959.

Interpretation in Canada

The arrival of the French

The arrival of the French in Canada in the 16th century marked the beginning of interpretation in this country. During the New France colonial period, there were many interpreters working in Aboriginal languages as well as Dutch and English. Later on, groups of interpreters were established within fur-trading "companies," most notably within the Hudson's Bay Company.

The arrival of the British

After the Conquest, the existence of British laws necessitated the involvement of legal interpreters. There were interpreters in the Quebec City, Montreal and Trois-Rivières districts. It has been written that Siméon Lelièvre (1805-1866), who was the most renowned of these interpreters, was perhaps among those Canadians of French origin who spoke English with the utmost elegance and purity of expression, which did not prevent him from also speaking his native language in a very correct way.

The parliamentary bastion

Parliamentary interpretation in Canada began in 1877 when the Senate's Committee on Internal Economy asked the lead translator to "translate" at the Clerk's table what was being said in the Senate. However, the type of "translation" was not specified. In 1926, during the Stevens' customs inquiry, a Blue Book translator, Clément Beauchamp, attended all deliberations of the committee and interpreted when called upon to do so.

Francophones are adversely affected

Apart from the cases stated above, interpretation was conspicuously absent in parliamentary institutions. Unilingual MPs, especially Francophones, were adversely affected. Admittedly, they could follow the proceedings of the House of Commons on account of the bilingual minutes published on each sitting day and, starting in 1875, thanks to the Debates published in both languages. But they were not able to play a very active role in the House. In 1935, it was said that a Francophone minister dreaded being asked questions and put off for as long as possible the moment when he had to defend his budget. As he was unaccustomed to speaking English, he knew that he would not be able to hold his own in a debate with opposition MPs. Interpretation would have really helped him in this situation!

Interpretation of debates

An acoustical matter

At the House of Commons, acoustics were neglected when the Centre Block, which was destroyed in a fire in 1916, was rebuilt. A stentorian voice and exceptional hearing were required to "survive." In February 1949, Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent even changed his seat so that he could hear a motion. This was very irritating!

The MPs decided to rectify this situation in June 1951. The Speaker visited a few European parliaments in order to study their set-up. However, parliamentary organization on the Continent did not apply to the Canadian situation as European MPs "stepped up to the podium;" in Canada, the Government and the Opposition faced each other and MPs spoke without leaving their seats. However the set-up of the British Parliament was suitable and was therefore adopted in Canada. By the end of 1952, you could make yourself understood in the House of Commons!

Request for interpretation services by MPs

Certain MPs subsequently requested that the House be equipped with interpretation services. The Cabinet discussed this matter at a meeting on November 22, 1957. In February 1958, it was decided to have the Tannoy company, the acknowledged expert in sound, install additional cables so that interpretation services could be provided. The Secretary of State was also asked to start training interpreters as soon as possible.

The first seven interpreters were hired during the summer of 1958. Four were Debate translators, who were accustomed to dictating. The other interpreters were hired from outside. Two women (Valérie Sylt and Marguerite Ouimet) were included among the interpreters.

The great day arrives

On January 16, 1959, the House met and operated for the first time simultaneously in both official languages. Everyone agreed that the service worked extremely well. Prime Minister Diefenbaker even mentioned this in the House. In the Senate, this development was followed with attention and interest and it was also decided that the Senate would acquire simultaneous interpretation services, which was done in September 1961. Parliament would henceforth actually conduct business in both languages.

Today

For a half a century, Canadians have been listening to their parliamentary representatives discuss national affairs in both English and French. Interpretation quickly became an essential service, so much so that it would be impossible to envision holding a conference of a considerable size today without interpreters. So much progress has been made since that day in 1959 when the House of Commons became truly bilingual.