Wintranslation's work with the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum
Wintranslation works hand in hand with a number of museums and cultural organizations in Canada to ensure accurate and timely translations in Canada’s two official languages, English and French, but also in the languages of new Canadians and of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. It ensures that it understands the museums’ challenges and facilitates solutions.
Wintranslation worked with the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum in Ottawa, ON on its updated audio-tour guide script, translating it into 10 languages including Algonquin and Inuktut. Here, we explore wintranslation’s contributions to the project, through a Q&A with the Diefenbunker.
The Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum has worked with wintranslation since 2020 on many of our translation needs. With a wide offering of services including translation of documents, availability of specific Indigenous languages, and voiceover work, they are a fantastic and reliable firm to assist with exhibition, marketing, and audio guide work for museums and heritage institutions. We highly recommend wintranslation. – Christine McGuire, Executive Director | Directrice Générale
Q: What was the Diefenbunker’s process to hire a translation firm?
A: Wintranslation has worked with the Diefenbunker on translation services since 2020 when we developed a new version of our 7-language audio guide. During that initial process, we did source out three separate agencies for translation as per our Procurement Policy. We found that wintranslation gave the best cost benefit for the work provided (translation and voiceover), especially for the South Baffin dialect of Inuktitut.
Q: What qualities did wintranslation have that helped Diefenbunker decide to hire wintranslation and work with them?
A: Wintranslation offers a competitive cost for their services and has always been transparent on the real cost of quotes for more specialized work (Algonquin language for audio guide). They also understand the length of time required to secure Indigenous language translation as opposed to more commonly requested languages (French, German, Italian, etc.). They also always ensure to work with members of the Indigenous community to ensure an accurate translation for specific regions and dialects.
Q: What exactly did wintranslation do for Diefenbunker?
A: Wintranslation has completed the translation work of documents (audio guide script, forms, etc.) and organized voiceover work for translated languages on the audio guide. They provide the items on a realistic timeline and in an encrypted archive once completed.
Q: What was the work process with wintranslation?
A: In Diefenbunker’s 4 years working with them, wintranslation has always assigned a point person within the organization to work with and to ensure the timeline for the translation and voiceover is on track and to provide any heads-up messaging if items will be delayed and the reason for them. For voiceover work, they provide samples of voices for the audio guide delivery in the translated language which you can choose or request for further options.
Q: How long did Diefenbunker’s translation process take?
A: Diefenbunker’s most recent translation was the museum’s audio guide into Italian. From accepting the quote to delivery of materials, the turnaround was one week for nearly 6500 words.
Q: What was it like to work with wintranslation?
A: The organization is professional and easy to work with when requesting quotes and providing clarifying answers to questions.
Q: How did the translation affect Diefenbunker’s ability to work with your communities, the First Nations and Inuit communities, and help visitors understand your museum’s story telling?
A: Wintranslation was able to provide the translated and voiced-over materials, and it is now an offering to over 10 language communities. With Indigenous languages (South Baffin Inuktitut and Ojibwe), this has expanded our interpretation of the site and opened the way for further exhibitions and offerings developed in collaboration with Indigenous audiences. We hope to have Algonquin added to the languages in the future once we have secured the necessary funds to do so.
Q: What problem or challenge did wintranslation help you address?
A: It helped expand our interpretation of the site by having more languages available to the public. The aim has always been to work towards including Indigenous content and storytelling in the museum, and a big part of that is starting with the language. From this, we reach out to local and national Indigenous communities to work with us to ensure those narratives are available to our public. A majority of our audience is unaware of something in our Cold War history like the operation of the DEW Line, let alone the impacts it had on Indigenous communities in the Arctic. By bringing Indigenous language in through the stories, we are not just expanding our audience’s understanding of the country’s Cold War history but also incorporating Indigenous perspectives, ensuring their voices are integral to the narrative.
Wintranslation is pleased to support a variety of sectors, including arts and culture. Cultural organizations that have worked with us include, for example: the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Saskatchewan Museum, New Brunswick Museum, Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum, Library and Archives Canada, Discovery Centre, Biosphere, and Canadian Museum of History.
*Images – SamuelDuval, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
