Latest news with #Gagnon
National Observer
6 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Parliamentary interpreters sound the alarm over coming changes to procurement rules
Professional interpreters are warning that the federal government's plans to cut its procurement costs could compromise the public's access to parliamentary, Supreme Court and other official proceedings in both official languages. Jeremy Link, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the department recently began a process to replace the federal government's existing freelance interpretation contracts. As part of that process, the government is seeking to make several major changes to the procurement of services for Parliament and other institutions like the Supreme Court. The Canadian branch of the International Association of Conference Interpreters, AIIC-Canada, said those changes include eliminating measures to protect interpreters' hearing and adopting a "lowest bid" approach to replace the "best fit" model that considers applicants' credentials and experience. "This change would almost certainly have the effect of pushing the most experienced freelancers off an already short-handed team," the organization said in a news release. It said that adopting a lowest-bid approach is "just about the money." In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney this month, AIIC-Canada president Alionka Skup said the proposed new rules would lower the quality of interpretation services and undermine public access to government proceedings in Canada's two official languages. Skup said the changes also ignore the current "severe shortage" of accredited and qualified suppliers of interpretation services. She said about 100 accredited and qualified freelancers now shoulder about 60 per cent of all parliamentary assignments. Nicole Gagnon, a spokesperson for AIIC-Canada and a career freelance interpreter, said the shortage started before the pandemic but got worse as Parliament went virtual and interpreters like herself sustained injuries. Several Parliament Hill interpreters have experienced hearing damage due to poor sound quality and feedback, and the federal government was forced to adjust the setup in the House of Commons and committee rooms last year. "With this new standing offer, odds are they'll decide to just hang up their headsets because it's not worth their trouble," Gagnon said. Gagnon said the government is also planning to start paying interpreters by the hour rather than by the day. "That's a fundamental change that is totally unacceptable to us," she said. "This standing offer goes against our standards of practice. We work by the day, we do not work by the hour. We're not gig workers." Gagnon said she and other interpreters oppose the lowest-bid model because it doesn't take credentials and experience into account. "Quite a few of us have more years' experience than others, have other degrees, be it in engineering or law or administration, and so these are additional credentials that should be taken into account when assigning interpreters," she said. "You would want to assign an interpreter to the Supreme Court if they have done studies in law or if that's their field of expertise, rather than send someone who has not." Gagnon said she worries about how MPs who rely on translation services will be affected by a possible decline in quality, noting that most of the interpreters' work is translating English into French. Link said Public Services and Procurement Canada issued a call for feedback from suppliers and industry on the new procurement approach in June. He said the input gathered will play a "key role" in shaping and refining the procurement strategy going forward. Gagnon said that when it met with suppliers last week, the government made it clear that it likely wouldn't reconsider adopting the lowest-bid approach. The department is extending current contracts with freelance interpreters until the end of the year as it works to update the procurement process. Once the new process is in place, interpreters will have to decide whether to submit bids to keep working on Parliament Hill. Gagnon said that the hourly pay and lowest-bid proposals are "non-starters" for her and that if they're introduced, she won't be offering her services again.
Global News
7 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Ottawa's planned cuts expected to hit parliamentary interpreters
Professional interpreters are warning that the federal government's plans to cut its procurement costs could compromise the public's access to parliamentary, Supreme Court and other official proceedings in both official languages. Jeremy Link, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the department recently began a process to replace the federal government's existing freelance interpretation contracts. As part of that process, the government is seeking to make several major changes to the procurement of services for Parliament and other institutions like the Supreme Court. The Canadian branch of the International Association of Conference Interpreters, AIIC-Canada, said those changes include eliminating measures to protect interpreters' hearing and adopting a 'lowest bid' approach to replace the 'best fit' model that considers applicants' credentials and experience. 'This change would almost certainly have the effect of pushing the most experienced freelancers off an already short-handed team,' the organization said in a news release. It said that adopting a lowest-bid approach is 'just about the money.' Story continues below advertisement In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney this month, AIIC-Canada president Alionka Skup said the proposed new rules would lower the quality of interpretation services and undermine public access to government proceedings in Canada's two official languages. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Skup said the changes also ignore the current 'severe shortage' of accredited and qualified suppliers of interpretation services. She said about 100 accredited and qualified freelancers now shoulder about 60 per cent of all parliamentary assignments. Nicole Gagnon, a spokesperson for AIIC-Canada and a career freelance interpreter, said the shortage started before the pandemic but got worse as Parliament went virtual and interpreters like herself sustained injuries. Several Parliament Hill interpreters have experienced hearing damage due to poor sound quality and feedback, and the federal government was forced to adjust the setup in the House of Commons and committee rooms last year. 'With this new standing offer, odds are they'll decide to just hang up their headsets because it's not worth their trouble,' Gagnon said. Gagnon said the government is also planning to start paying interpreters by the hour rather than by the day. 'That's a fundamental change that is totally unacceptable to us,' she said. 'This standing offer goes against our standards of practice. We work by the day, we do not work by the hour. We're not gig workers.' Story continues below advertisement Gagnon said she and other interpreters oppose the lowest-bid model because it doesn't take credentials and experience into account. 'Quite a few of us have more years' experience than others, have other degrees, be it in engineering or law or administration, and so these are additional credentials that should be taken into account when assigning interpreters,' she said. 'You would want to assign an interpreter to the Supreme Court if they have done studies in law or if that's their field of expertise, rather than send someone who has not.' Gagnon said she worries about how MPs who rely on translation services will be affected by a possible decline in quality, noting that most of the interpreters' work is translating English into French. Link said Public Services and Procurement Canada issued a call for feedback from suppliers and industry on the new procurement approach in June. He said the input gathered will play a 'key role' in shaping and refining the procurement strategy going forward. Gagnon said that when it met with suppliers last week, the government made it clear that it likely wouldn't reconsider adopting the lowest-bid approach. The department is extending current contracts with freelance interpreters until the end of the year as it works to update the procurement process. Once the new process is in place, interpreters will have to decide whether to submit bids to keep working on Parliament Hill. Story continues below advertisement Gagnon said that the hourly pay and lowest-bid proposals are 'non-starters' for her and that if they're introduced, she won't be offering her services again.
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Parliamentary interpreters sound alarm over coming changes to procurement rules
OTTAWA - Professional interpreters are warning that the federal government's plans to cut its procurement costs could compromise the public's access to parliamentary, Supreme Court and other official proceedings in both official languages. Jeremy Link, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the department recently began a process to replace the federal government's existing freelance interpretation contracts. As part of that process, the government is seeking to make several major changes to the procurement of services for Parliament and other institutions like the Supreme Court. The Canadian branch of the International Association of Conference Interpreters, AIIC-Canada, said those changes include eliminating measures to protect interpreters' hearing and adopting a 'lowest bid' approach to replace the 'best fit' model that considers applicants' credentials and experience. 'This change would almost certainly have the effect of pushing the most experienced freelancers off an already short-handed team,' the organization said in a news release. It said that adopting a lowest-bid approach is 'just about the money.' In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney this month, AIIC-Canada president Alionka Skup said the proposed new rules would lower the quality of interpretation services and undermine public access to government proceedings in Canada's two official languages. Skup said the changes also ignore the current 'severe shortage' of accredited and qualified suppliers of interpretation services. She said about 100 accredited and qualified freelancers now shoulder about 60 per cent of all parliamentary assignments. Nicole Gagnon, a spokesperson for AIIC-Canada and a career freelance interpreter, said the shortage started before the pandemic but got worse as Parliament went virtual and interpreters like herself sustained injuries. Several Parliament Hill interpreters have experienced hearing damage due to poor sound quality and feedback, and the federal government was forced to adjust the setup in the House of Commons and committee rooms last year. 'With this new standing offer, odds are they'll decide to just hang up their headsets because it's not worth their trouble,' Gagnon said. Gagnon said the government is also planning to start paying interpreters by the hour rather than by the day. 'That's a fundamental change that is totally unacceptable to us,' she said. 'This standing offer goes against our standards of practice. We work by the day, we do not work by the hour. We're not gig workers.' Gagnon said she and other interpreters oppose the lowest-bid model because it doesn't take credentials and experience into account. 'Quite a few of us have more years' experience than others, have other degrees, be it in engineering or law or administration, and so these are additional credentials that should be taken into account when assigning interpreters,' she said. 'You would want to assign an interpreter to the Supreme Court if they have done studies in law or if that's their field of expertise, rather than send someone who has not.' Gagnon said she worries about how MPs who rely on translation services will be affected by a possible decline in quality, noting that most of the interpreters' work is translating English into French. Link said Public Services and Procurement Canada issued a call for feedback from suppliers and industry on the new procurement approach in June. He said the input gathered will play a 'key role' in shaping and refining the procurement strategy going forward. Gagnon said that when it met with suppliers last week, the government made it clear that it likely wouldn't reconsider adopting the lowest-bid approach. The department is extending current contracts with freelance interpreters until the end of the year as it works to update the procurement process. Once the new process is in place, interpreters will have to decide whether to submit bids to keep working on Parliament Hill. Gagnon said that the hourly pay and lowest-bid proposals are 'non-starters' for her and that if they're introduced, she won't be offering her services again. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Parliamentary interpreters sound alarm over coming changes to procurement rules
OTTAWA – Professional interpreters are warning that the federal government's plans to cut its procurement costs could compromise the public's access to parliamentary, Supreme Court and other official proceedings in both official languages. Jeremy Link, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the department recently began a process to replace the federal government's existing freelance interpretation contracts. As part of that process, the government is seeking to make several major changes to the procurement of services for Parliament and other institutions like the Supreme Court. The Canadian branch of the International Association of Conference Interpreters, AIIC-Canada, said those changes include eliminating measures to protect interpreters' hearing and adopting a 'lowest bid' approach to replace the 'best fit' model that considers applicants' credentials and experience. 'This change would almost certainly have the effect of pushing the most experienced freelancers off an already short-handed team,' the organization said in a news release. It said that adopting a lowest-bid approach is 'just about the money.' In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney this month, AIIC-Canada president Alionka Skup said the proposed new rules would lower the quality of interpretation services and undermine public access to government proceedings in Canada's two official languages. Skup said the changes also ignore the current 'severe shortage' of accredited and qualified suppliers of interpretation services. She said about 100 accredited and qualified freelancers now shoulder about 60 per cent of all parliamentary assignments. Nicole Gagnon, a spokesperson for AIIC-Canada and a career freelance interpreter, said the shortage started before the pandemic but got worse as Parliament went virtual and interpreters like herself sustained injuries. Several Parliament Hill interpreters have experienced hearing damage due to poor sound quality and feedback, and the federal government was forced to adjust the setup in the House of Commons and committee rooms last year. 'With this new standing offer, odds are they'll decide to just hang up their headsets because it's not worth their trouble,' Gagnon said. Gagnon said the government is also planning to start paying interpreters by the hour rather than by the day. 'That's a fundamental change that is totally unacceptable to us,' she said. 'This standing offer goes against our standards of practice. We work by the day, we do not work by the hour. We're not gig workers.' Gagnon said she and other interpreters oppose the lowest-bid model because it doesn't take credentials and experience into account. 'Quite a few of us have more years' experience than others, have other degrees, be it in engineering or law or administration, and so these are additional credentials that should be taken into account when assigning interpreters,' she said. 'You would want to assign an interpreter to the Supreme Court if they have done studies in law or if that's their field of expertise, rather than send someone who has not.' Gagnon said she worries about how MPs who rely on translation services will be affected by a possible decline in quality, noting that most of the interpreters' work is translating English into French. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Link said Public Services and Procurement Canada issued a call for feedback from suppliers and industry on the new procurement approach in June. He said the input gathered will play a 'key role' in shaping and refining the procurement strategy going forward. Gagnon said that when it met with suppliers last week, the government made it clear that it likely wouldn't reconsider adopting the lowest-bid approach. The department is extending current contracts with freelance interpreters until the end of the year as it works to update the procurement process. Once the new process is in place, interpreters will have to decide whether to submit bids to keep working on Parliament Hill. Gagnon said that the hourly pay and lowest-bid proposals are 'non-starters' for her and that if they're introduced, she won't be offering her services again. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Cision Canada
23-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Stéphane Gagnon sentenced to five years and ordered to pay over $7.75 million
TORONTO, July 23, 2025 /CNW/ - The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) announced today that Stéphane Gagnon, formerly of Ottawa, Ontario was convicted on one count of Fraud over $5,000 contrary to Section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code (Code) and one count of 'Use of Forged Document' contrary to Section 368(1) of the Code. Mr. Gagnon was found guilty by the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto and was sentenced to 5 years in jail less time served and was also ordered to pay back the whole net amount of the fraud totaling over $7.75 million. The court ordered restitution to the victims and a fine in lieu of forfeiture. If Mr. Gagnon does not pay the fine, he may serve additional time in jail. "Today's decision is a significant outcome for Ontario's investors who were harmed by Mr. Gagnon's actions," said Bonnie Lysyk, Executive Vice President of Enforcement at the OSC. "Where the OSC sees evidence of harm, we will take action to protect investors, and the integrity of our capital markets. We are pleased with the judgment of the Superior Court and thank everyone involved in this case." In an agreed statement presented to the Court, Mr. Gagnon admitted that between August 1, 2015, and May 31, 2021, he received more than $20 million from victims across Canada. He advertised to the public that he could help people access funds in their locked-in retirement accounts if they invested their money in his company. Mr. Gagnon accepted funds from more than 300 investors and then used a significant portion of the money for other purposes. He also admitted that he used forged lawyers' letters to attempt to continue his business relationship with one of the trust companies into which the victims' money had been deposited. This case was brought by the OSC's Criminal Investigations & Prosecutions team, which is part of the Enforcement Division of the OSC. They investigate securities-related frauds, market manipulation, and related misconduct, including the investigation of repeat offenders and those who breach Capital Markets Tribunal or court orders and bans. Their primary objective is to protect investors and further enhance confidence in the Canadian capital markets through effective enforcement. To do this, they often partner and collaborate with other law enforcement agencies and police forces. Charges laid under the Securities Act are prosecuted by the OSC. Charges laid under the Criminal Code are prosecuted by the Ministry of the Attorney General. The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair, efficient and competitive capital markets, and confidence in the capital markets, to foster capital formation, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk. Investors are urged to check the registration of any persons or company offering an investment opportunity and to review the OSC investor materials available at
