Translation of construction drawings and specifications isn’t anything new for practices, particularly those doing federal projects.
Members should be aware that amendments to the Government of Canada’s Official Languages Act were proposed in March 2022, setting a concept of “equal quality in both official languages.” It is the understanding of the OAA that the requirements are being phased in as various government departments and their project managers learn how to implement the updated requirements The amendments are still being debated at the Committee level in the House of Commons. The OAA will monitor their progress.
It is not an OAA regulatory issue per se, but may be a requirement for certain projects and clients. If this translation requirement exists in any federal, provincial, or municipal legislation related to the practice of architecture and a member contravenes said legislation in the course of their work on a project, it could be construed as a contravention of OAA Regulations and subject to complaints and disciplinary action. This clause is found in Regulation 27 section 42(3) under the Architects Act:
3. Knowingly contravening any federal, provincial or municipal law, regulation or by-law relating to the construction, enlargement or alteration of buildings.
While the OAA does not have any statutory requirement that members translate documents, it does have a requirement that members not break any other law related to the practice of architecture.
In practical terms, it may come down to how a member and practice maintain control of their work when it is required to be translated. Interested members can get familiar with the changes to understand how to manage them in the context of active projects as well as other more “practical” ripple effects that may be felt over the course of construction, including terms of existing contracts with their federal clients and adjustments to fees to cover the need of an external translator in case the firm doesn’t have this capacity in house.
Further information may be found in the following documents: