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History
Language Services
is a
department of MOSAIC, a
Vancouver-based non-profit agency serving the settlement and
integration needs of immigrants and refugees. To read MOSAIC’s
complete history, click
here.
In 1989, the City of
Vancouver granted MOSAIC $30,000 to provide affordable translation
services. When the funding stopped two years later, Translation
Services realized it had to be self-sustaining to survive and started
targeting the corporate and government sectors while preserving affordable
translation services for newcomers. Similarly, Interpretation Services
was born from the need for a viable operation that could continuously
provide a service desperately needed by newcomers.
The first major
service agreement with the Ministry of Social Services and Housing
was signed in October 1990. The transition from volunteer bilingual
speakers to professional interpreters accelerated as Interpretation
Services secured larger contracts requiring quality service and
professional support. MOSAIC took one more step toward professionalism in
1994, when it adopted the Ministry of Attorney General’s fee schedule and
professional accreditation guidelines.
In 1995, the
Language Services Department was created, under which Translation and
Interpretation Services continued to operate and add new language-related
services. Today, MOSAIC’s Language Services Department co-ordinates the
work of over 300 language specialists in more than 70 languages.
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