We would like to share some of the considerations in the implementation of our simultaneous translation services. These are the more practical considerations that we were faced with when implementing our translation services.
As I mentioned earlier, the fact that we are subject to the Cities and Towns Act means that we are subject also to a call for a public tender process for our simultaneous translation services.
There is also the additional cost of providing simultaneous translation services. This is a major factor. The revenues of the regional government are basically—and I would say practically solely—based on the taxation revenues of the citizens of the category III lands of our territory. The costs are covered through the taxation revenues that are generated.
We've also considered the need to create a bank of qualified and available Cree interpreters who are hired on a contractual basis.
We've also taken into consideration the fact that we needed to compose with various Cree dialects in the territory, which means that there are the northern and southern Cree dialects and also the coastal and inland Cree dialects that were taken into consideration.
The technical aspects of the contents pertaining to municipal matters and our contents are of a very technical nature. They're dealing with municipal and land use planning matters, so we've taken into consideration those aspects. We've also foreseen the space that is required to accommodate translation booths and the work areas that are required for the technicians who accompany our interpreters. This means that we have one booth for the French and English interpreters. We have a second booth for the Cree interpreters. We also have a work area for the two technicians who accompany the four interpreters.
The cost, as I mentioned earlier, includes the translation fees and the lodging and travel costs. I would say that the overall translation cost represents anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 per year for the regional government.
The fact is that we do hold our meetings in remote areas, and that includes as far north as Whapmagoostui, which does not have any access road. We do have a challenge with accessing reliable high-speed Internet in certain remote areas.
For access to reliable telephone communication lines, because of the fact that members do call in or join by conference call, it means that we need two separate telephone lines, one line to accommodate the English and French, and a second phone line to accommodate the members requiring Cree translation.
We have been experimenting with new technologies such as remote or distant translation, but we're not there yet, for the sole reason that we have to compose with different considerations—that is, we have the live streaming, we require the simultaneous translation, and there are the members who are joining in by phone—so we haven't yet arrived at identifying the possibility of introducing new technologies for remote translation. I was listening to the presentation earlier. It's very difficult. Our interpreters have mentioned to us that they prefer to be on location for the translation.
There's also radio broadcasting, so that's another consideration.
I would have to say that the added value to the quality of the implementation of our simultaneous translation services depends on the devotion and dedication of the regional government public services that are operating under time constraints and under a lot of pressure at certain times. In particular, our public servants have managed their way through an extensive administrative transformation to ensure that services are based on an inclusive approach for all citizens of our territory.