British Columbia is currently the most ethnically diverse province in Canada. In fact, last year alone we welcomed 67,141 immigrants to the province. According to the Government of British Columbia, this marks the second highest level of international immigration to BC on record. This might explain why E-Comm received 3,418 calls requesting interpretation services on 9-1-1 in 2021, nearly 105 per cent more requests than in 2020.
Of these calls, 31 per cent were requests for interpretation in Mandarin, 29 per cent Punjabi and 16 per cent Cantonese.
October is Global Diversity Month and E-Comm wants to empower communities across the province to call 9-1-1 to get the help that they need in an emergency—no matter what language they speak.
Do you want to #HelpUsHelp ensure that everyone is equipped to get help from emergency service providers? Watch the video below from E-Comm’s Report Agent Yung to learn more how you can educate your non-English speaking friends and family members about calling 9-1-1.
Note: Yung shares her tips in English and Cantonese.