About Us
The Critical Link network began in 1992 when Brian Harris, at the
University of Ottawa, with the encouragement and support of Geoffrey
Kingscott of Language International, gathered together a group of
people working in the field in Canada to organize the first international
conference on community interpreting.
In December 2000, Critical Link became incorporated as:
Critical Link Canada: National Council for the Development of Community
Interpreting / Maillon Essentiel Canada: conseil national pour le
développement de l’interprétation en milieu
social.
Critical Link Canada is a non-profit organization committed to
the advancement of the field of community interpreting in the social,
legal and health care sectors. While our primary focus is spoken
language interpreting, we work closely with those in the community
interpreting field who work in the area of signed language interpreting.
Critical Link Canada fulfills its mandate by:
- Promoting the establishment of standards which guide the practice
of community interpreters,
- Encouraging and sharing research in the field of community
interpretation,
- Adding to the discussion about the educational and training
requirements for community interpreters,
- Advocating for the provision of professional community interpreting
services by social, legal and health care institutions,
- Raising awareness about community interpreting as a profession.
Why Critical Link?
Community interpreters provide a critical link between service
providers in legal, health and social service settings and clients
with whom they do not share a common language. In the same way,
our national and international conferences are a critical medium for discussion
about issues related to accreditation, training and research in
the field of community interpretation. This Web site provides
further opportunities for contributions to the discourse on community
interpretation.
The founding members of Critical Link Canada are:
Diana Abraham
Silvana Carr
Lucille Cormier
Marco Fiola
Nathan Garber
Brian Harris |
Isabelle Hemlin
Lyndon Hrytzak
Karen Malcolm
Roda Roberts
Dini Steyn
Terese Szlamp-Fryga |
The current members of the Critical Link Executive and Board are:
EXECUTIVES:
| President:
Suzanne Barclay, MBA
Director
The Provincial Language Service
Provincial Health Services Authority
Vancouver, BC
Phone: (604) 875-2553
Fax: (604) 875-3428
Email: sbarclay@phsa.ca
Website: www.phsa.ca/pls
|
Vice President:
Bonnie Heath
Executive Director
E-Quality Communication Centre of Excellence
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Phone: (204) 926-3270
Fax: (204) 452-0688
Email: bonnie@eccoe.com
Website: www.eccoe.com
|
| Treasurer:
Debra Russell, Ph.D.
David Peikoff Chair of Deafness Studies & WCCSD Director
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Phone: (780) 492-1156
Fax: (780) 492-1318
Email: debra.russell@ualberta.ca
|
|
BOARD MEMBERS:
| Standards of Practice and Training Committee Chair:
Lisete Figueiredo
LAF Consulting
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: 416-521-9031
Email: figlis@sympatico.ca
|
Journal Committee Chair:
Silvana E. Carr, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Interpreting Programs
Vancouver Community College
Centre for Professional and Continuing Studies
Vancouver, British Columbia
Phone: (604) 443-8389
Fax: (604) 443-8667
Email: scarr@vcc.ca
|
Public Relations/Communications:
Acting Chair:
Angela Sasso
Coordinator - Special Projects
The Provincial Language Service Provincial Health Services Authority Vancouver, BC
Telephone: 604-875-2345 ext. 7163
Fax: (604) 875-3428
Email: Asasso@phsa.ca
Website: www.phsa.ca/pls
|
National Conference Chair:
Acting Co-Chairs:
Silvana E. Carr, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Interpreting Programs
Vancouver Community College
Email: scarr@vcc.ca
Kristofer Nielsen
Manager, Interpreter Services
The Provincial Language Service, Provincial Health Services Authority
Email: knielsen@phsa.ca
|
Administrative Support:
Photos of the Organizing
Committee of Critical Link 1 in 1995
|
