Watch the video above: a growing immigrant population is fueling a need for more language interpreters
SASKATOON – The memory of first setting foot on Canadian soil with her two young children in 1987 has been etched into Karen Portillo-Malpass’s mind.
“You don’t know where you are coming to. You hear everything about the weather – how cold it is,” she told Global News.
Portillo-Malpass came to Canada as a refugee sponsored by the federal government. Language interpreters were vital to helping her acclimatize not only to the Canadian weather, but to the culture of her new home.
“The community itself, Saskatoon is not the same anymore, so it has changed and it has changed because of diversity,” said Portillo-Malpass, who now works with the Saskatoon Open Door Society.
The community agency has its own pool of language interpreters often used by law enforcement, hospitals and during legal proceedings.
“Being able to speak the same language that you do is really comforting. It brings peace to your heart and makes that whole process less threatening, less intimidating. It opens your mind to be able to understand with more clarification, what you are going through,” she said.
Language interpreters have become an essential resource for Saskatoon police.
Until 2005-06, Saskatchewan saw an average of 1,600 immigrants per year. Over the last couple of years, there’s been exponential growth in that number to nearly 10,000 immigrants per year. Nearly 40 per cent opt to lay down roots in Saskatoon.
“It’s so, so important just to break through that barrier. In a lot of countries, when newcomers are coming to Canada, even our uniform itself becomes a barrier. So in order to get that communication rolling, it’s just essential,” said Cont. Matt Maloney with the Cultural Resource Unit of Saskatoon Police Service.
Residents of Saskatoon can volunteer their services as an interpreter by going through an application process and a special class.
“Right now we’re really missing a lot of the African languages, so in this next class, we’re going to be looking specifically for those.”
Front-line and investigating officers carry an ‘I Speak’ card to help remove language barriers.
“If you’re on the street and language is a barrier, an officer can take out their card, the individual can find their flag or their language, point to it and we’ve got an incident where we can start communication,” Cont. Maloney explained.
Saskatoon police currently have access to 80 interpreters and more than 100 dialects.
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