Mina interpreting and certified translation in Burnaby and across Canada, mostly for IRCC and IRB files from Togo and Benin, where civil records run from French and the Mina itself is spoken.
Certified translation into English of the French records a Mina-speaking family holds, such as birth, marriage and death certificates and school papers, with Gbe name spellings kept consistent and a sworn affidavit where an original is missing.
Mina, also called Gen or Gen-Gbe, is a Gbe language closely related to Ewe, spoken around Aného and Lomé in southern Togo and across the border in Benin. It is written in the Latin alphabet. Because Togo and Benin issue civil records in French, a Mina speaker's birth, marriage or death certificate is normally translated from French to English rather than from Mina.
The Mina element of a file is usually the interpreting, while the documents run from French. Where a rural birth was registered late or a record is missing, a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can explain how a name or date was established, and we keep the French transliteration of a Gbe name consistent across papers. Output is issued by a certified translator or supported by affidavit, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
Every certified Mina translation is a complete, word-for-word rendering with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, prepared to meet IRCC requirements. It is done from a clear scan, so a client in Burnaby gets the same translator, the same price and the same turnaround as one anywhere else in Canada. See certified Mina translation for the document service in full.
Certified Mina-related translation in Burnaby usually means rendering Togolese or Beninese French civil records into English, since those countries issue certificates in French, with a sworn affidavit where a birth was registered late.
Burnaby lies immediately east of Vancouver and is British Columbia's third largest city, home to major shopping, film production and technology employers around Metrotown and the Brentwood and Lougheed town centres. It is highly multilingual: English is the mother tongue of about 41 per cent of residents, while more than half report another first language, and the Chinese community, including Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, is the single largest group, alongside Korean, Tagalog and Punjabi speakers.
Simon Fraser University sits atop Burnaby Mountain and the British Columbia Institute of Technology is also based here, drawing international students and faculty. Burnaby Hospital operates under the Fraser Health authority, and the Provincial Court of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia serve the area. Together these institutions, along with settlement agencies and local businesses, generate ongoing demand for translation and interpreting in the community's many languages.
Our Mina interpreters cover IRB hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid and medical appointments in Burnaby, matched within the Gbe cluster against related Ewe, Fon or Aja so the right variety attends.
Mina sits within the Gbe cluster alongside Ewe, Fon and Aja, and speakers understand these neighbours to varying degrees; the name Mina is also used for unrelated languages elsewhere, so we confirm at booking that the Gbe language of Togo and Benin is the one needed. Many speakers also use French, but relying on a second language in a hearing is a risk.
Our Mina interpreters attend IRB refugee protection hearings and IRCC interviews, hospital and clinic appointments under PHIPA and PIPEDA, and settlement and legal-aid meetings. The community in Canada is small, so most work is by phone or video anywhere in the country, with in-person attendance in Burnaby where it can be scheduled.
For an in-person assignment in Burnaby we assign a Mina interpreter based in or near the city. Telephone and video interpreting can usually be arranged the same day. We serve courts, lawyers, hospitals, IRCC applicants and private individuals; we are a private agency, not a court-appointed vendor, and we say so up front.
A nationwide network of certified translators covers Burnaby and surrounding communities, so the French civil records behind a Mina file can be translated and returned wherever you are.
For in-person work in Burnaby we assign a Mina translator who is based in or near the city, and the same Mina linguists cover the surrounding area:
Prism also serves Mina speakers in nearby communities such as New Westminster, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and North Vancouver — on site across the Burnaby area and by telephone or video anywhere in Canada.
Get a free Mina translation quote or call +1 (888) 693-6123
Mina (Gen, Gen-Mina) is a Niger-Congo language spoken by around 300,000 people in southern Togo and southeastern Benin. It's closely related to Ewe. Our Mina translation work is essentially non-existent in normal operations; Togolese and Beninese civil documents are typically in French and routed accordingly.
Togo and Benin issue civil records in French, so we translate them from French to English as a certified translation. The Mina part of a file is usually the interpreting.
They are closely related Gbe languages and largely mutually intelligible, but not identical. The name Mina is also used elsewhere, so we confirm the Togo and Benin language at booking.
Yes. A sworn affidavit can accompany the translation to explain how a name or date was established. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
Mina translation is done remotely from a scan, so location makes no difference to the document work. For in-person interpreting in Burnaby we assign a Mina interpreter who is based in or near the city, and phone or video interpreting is available anywhere in Canada.
We are committed to excellence, and we ensure every Mina translation meets Canadian regulatory and client requirements — from IRCC filings to court submissions.
Our team consists entirely of native Mina linguists vetted for subject-matter expertise. They provide unmatched precision, translating exclusively into their native tongue to ensure cultural and linguistic accuracy.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year — including Canadian statutory holidays. Our company takes pride in offering excellent customer service to all our clients.