Committed interculturalist awarded the McGill Associates Prize in Translation

Intercultural communication is certainly one way of describing translation in today’s globalized world. And that description is particularly fitting for Yvan Larrivée, who is the 2015 recipient of the McGill Associates Prize in Translation (English-French). Mr. Larrivée received this distinction at the spring graduation ceremony when he was awarded his Certificate in Translation.

After having completed a degree in film studies and communication at l’Université de Montréal, he got his initial taste for translation while working for the Montreal branch of SDL International, a worldwide translation network. He became interested in Tibetan Buddhism and pursued further study of that tradition at the Gampo Abbey monastery in Nova Scotia.  Then in of 2010, he returned to the business world by taking-up a position at Indigo Books and Music Inc.

Translation seemed a natural choice for Mr. Larrivée. Bringing his many intercultural and language skills into play, he is currently working on the translation, from English to French, of a treatise of Buddhist philosophy and practice written by a Tibetan teacher. His personal mission is to establish standardized equivalences between the English and French Buddhist lexicons, and building a bridge of understanding between two alterities all too often misunderstood by the general public.  

“Driven by a need to build awareness and understanding is a fundamental mission of translators in today’s world. Mr. Larrivée’s commitment to intercultural communication will serve him well in Canada’s expanding language industry”, said James Archibald, Director of McGill’s Translation and Written Communication unit.

McGill offers both an undergraduate certificate and a graduate diploma in translation for aspiring translators interested in the language industry.