We have moved!
December 17, 2021
Effective December 15, 2021, we will be in a new location! Please update our account details as follows:
Premiere Verbatim Reporting Ltd.
310-730 View Street
Victoria, BC V8W 3Y7
COVID-19: Business Reopening
A Message To Our Clients.
July 6, 2020
We hope you are all staying safe and well. We look forward to resuming our business operations offering in-house discoveries starting July 6. Our offices will be operating with 50% fewer rooms, and due to the nature of mediations and breakout rooms, we regret we will be unable to accommodate mediations at this time and will update when we will be at full capacity.
The vast majority of our business tends to be personal injury. This means the witnesses are often meeting regularly with high risk medical staff. We strongly recommend you consider this risk when you decide to book an in-person discovery.
As we prepare for resuming operations, the health, safety, and wellbeing of our clients, reporter team, and staff is always our top priority. We have established our COVID-19 preparedness plan and management policies for procedural protocols, while accommodating our client needs for expedited access to justice. We are continually monitoring guidelines from the health authorities to adjust our plans, policies, and timelines accordingly.
To protect everyone, we recommend that clients and witnesses wear face masks. The reporter may ask for masks to be removed in the boardroom so that they can properly hear the speaker and read lips as necessary; therefore, witnesses and examining counsel may be asked to wear a face shield instead. PVR will have disposable face shields available for a small fee.
We will conduct daily health assessments on our team members to determine if they are “fit for duty”. For Clients/Visitors, we will require you perform a self-evaluation by asking the following questions:
- Have you had a cough?
- Have you had a fever?
- Have you been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms within the past 14 days?
- Are you living with anyone who is sick or quarantined?
If you or your client answer yes to any of the above questions, we ask that you conduct the examination via videoconference.
To further provide for social distancing and minimal contact, PVR will offer sealed snacks and bottled water only in each room.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to adapt to these changing times.
Hygiene & Sanitation
While we have always been dedicated to providing a clean and safe office environment, we will be enhancing both our sanitation procedures and their frequency. We are committed to the highest level of care and attention. This includes but is not limited to:
- Use of professional-grade disinfectant
- Increased cleaning of all common areas, service rooms, and high-touch surfaces several times daily
- Where required, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves, masks, face shields, and proper hygiene measures (proper hand washing and sanitizing)
Our Team
Our reporter professionals and staff are happy to service you from a safe distance. Our team has been properly trained on all safety and public health safety measures. This includes but is not limited to:
- All employees will answer screening questionnaires and will have their temperature taken first thing in the morning when they arrive.
- Any employees exhibiting symptoms will be sent home.
- All staff will be required to wear PPE when not at their own designated workstation area
- All workstations will meet the guideline of physical distancing (6 feet)
- All workstations and common areas will have hand sanitizer available
- All reporters are recommended to wear a mask and an optional face shield
Physical Distancing
Management of traffic flow and physical distancing measures are in place at our office, to ensure a fluid and safe experience for all clients and staff. This includes but is not limited to:
- Signage displayed throughout the office (reception / common areas / boardrooms) that will communicate policy and instruction
- Physical distancing (6 feet apart) will be adhered to
- Only lawyers and witnesses will be allowed to enter the premises; family and friends will stay outside. A maximum of six people (including the reporter) per room is permitted due to our boardroom sizes
- Communal coffee and snack stations will not be available. Bottled water will be in each room.
- Clients are asked to remain in their boardrooms and to exit when discovery is complete to avoid any further touchpoints with employees or possibly another client
- To protect everyone, we recommend that clients and witnesses wear masks. The reporter may ask for masks to be removed in the boardroom so that they can properly hear the speaker and read lips as necessary; therefore, witnesses and examining counsel may be asked to wear a face shield instead
Appointments
Now that examinations will be commencing July 6nd, we ask clients to reach out if they wish to change their videoconference bookings to in-person. Please note that as only 50% of our rooms will be available for now, we may be physically booked for in-house but still available for videoconferencing. All examinations will be based on a schedule and timeline that best adheres to public health guidelines, including social distancing measures. This includes but is not limited to:
- Staggered start times for discoveries
- Extended duration in between appointments to allow time for cleaning and disinfecting of the examination rooms
- Client requested to self-screen and take temperature prior to arriving at PVR
- Our booking system will track individuals attending at our offices each day. Kindly check in with reception upon arrival so we may ensure you are noted in our system
- We ask that only essential persons attend.
At Your Service, In New Ways
Your safety is always at the top of our minds and as such, we have put in place new technologies to better service our clients in a new way.
Our videoconference services will continue to be available for discoveries and mediations, with ongoing training/testing as needed for new clients or witnesses.
We are available by phone or email. Please reach out to us if you have any questions at reception@pvr.ca.
We will continue to update you as we navigate these challenging times. We appreciate your patience as we work hard to ensure access to justice safely.
Sincerely,
The PVR Team
Download PVR's COVID-19 Response Plan
News
COVID update
November 20, 2020
Dear Clients,
All of us at PVR wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for continuing to support our business and our team. 2020 has been a year of challenges and learning for all of us. We have found great strength within our team as we have worked through new technologies and managed kids and dogs in the background. We are very grateful to you for your patience as we navigate through it all.
As we look forward to the end of 2020, we are mindful of our desire to connect with family and friends to celebrate. However as you are no doubt aware, BC is seeing a large uptick in cases after the Thanksgiving weekend. We are anticipating that there will be another surge after the holiday gatherings in December.
To this end, PVR will be conducting videoconference meetings only from November 23 through to January 31, 2021, in order to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our team and the community at large. We will of course amend as necessary based on government advice.
To rebook your discovery or arrange videoconferencing services for a current booking, kindly email us at reception@pvr.ca. We will be contacting you to update your in-person booking over the next few days.
Our office will be closed from December 24 through to January 4 for some much needed rejuvenation. We will be making a donation to Our Place Society in lieu of gifts and cards this year - more than ever, Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens need support.
Finally, thank you for supporting your local businesses. It is a symbiotic relationship that ensures we all thrive together.
If you have suggestions on how we can improve our service to you in order to support the work you are doing for your clients in this challenging time, please reach out.
Wishing you health and safety,
Sherene Hunt
Videoconference Proceedings with PVR
March 25, 2020
PVR is currently offering free videoconferencing for discoveries, mediations, and arbitrations.
Our end-to-end encryption for all meetings include role-based user security, password protection, waiting rooms, breakout rooms, and the ability to place attendees on hold. Features include share screens for exhibit or document viewing and annotation for an interactive meeting as well as chat groups and private breakout rooms.
Easy to use with your laptop, desktop, iPad or cell phone. Our certified reporters produce transcript of your discoveries.
We handle all the testing and training so you can concentrate on your discovery or mediation.
Interested? Take a look at our video here
Webconferencing Tips
March 22, 2020
1. Documents. Ask your court reporting firm in advance of the proceeding how to share your screen so you can show documents you would like to reference. If documents are entered as exhibits, you will need to provide copies of these documents to your court reporting firm after the proceeding so they can be marked.
2. Equipment. If participants will be joining by computer, they will need a computer with a webcam and speakers. A hard-wired Internet connection (Ethernet) is not necessary, but it is a little more trustworthy than WiFi. Participants can also join on a smartphone or a tablet with internet connection.
3. Background. Your background can be distracting. Avoid sitting in front of a window; changing light levels can affect the camera brightness. If you’re sitting near framed photos or posters, make sure they are not distracting or offensive to your audience.
Please reach out if you have any questions with regard to conducting your next discovery or mediation with us. We are currently offering our webconferencing service free of charge.
Message from PVR
March 15, 2020
As a trusted partner in the legal community providing court reporting and meeting room services, PVR is closely monitoring the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on our staff and our clients. We care deeply about your safety, whether you are in our offices or out in our community. With this in mind, I would like to share the actions we’re taking to help you make informed decisions about your bookings with us.
As this situation rapidly evolves, we know there is an atmosphere of uncertainty as clients wonder if they should change their bookings. That’s why, starting today, PVR will be offering free videoconferencing services for your discoveries. All parties, the witness and the reporter are able to attend remotely from your desktops as long as you have a stable internet connection and a web camera. Documents can also be shared through our system. We ask that all parties ensure they have agreement, and we will provide you with instructions for set-up and dialing in.
If videoconferencing is not an option, please note that we will do all we can to ensure you have a reporter available; however, the health and safety of our staff and their families is paramount. We will do our best to fulfill your request.
To rebook your discovery or arrange video conferencing services for a current booking, kindly email us at reception@pvr.ca.
TRANSCRIPTION OF RECORDED AUDIO FILES
April 28, 2017
We often get inquiries from people regarding audio files they have recorded. A good quality audio file is a useful record of a proceeding or a conversation that took place.
The most efficient way to review the contents of the audio file is to have the file transcribed; reading a transcript is quicker than listening to audio, plus audio files are not word-searchable. PVR’s secure online upload makes it easy to transfer even large audio files for transcription.
Contact PVR today to find out more about having our skilled verbatim transcribers produce a typed rendition of your audio file to get maximum use of your audio recording.
CLIENT APPRECIATION COCKTAIL PARTY
April 11, 2017
Please join us as we show appreciation to our clients!
We will be having an open house on Thursday, April 27, at our premises in downtown Victoria (715-1070 Douglas Street) from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Great food, great drinks, great memories …
See our Client Appreciation Open House Invitation for more details.
HOW DOES THAT LITTLE MACHINE WORK?
January 31, 2017
Court reporters use shorthand to capture the spoken word.
Before computers, this shorthand was printed on steno paper in the reporter's shorthand machine. Afterwards, the court reporter would dictate her shorthand notes, translating into English as she went, and send the dictation to a typist to create the transcript.
Court reporting computer software now takes the reporter's shorthand and instantaneously translates it into English, using that reporter's shorthand-to-English dictionary. Each reporter has a unique dictionary tailored to their style of shorthand.
Learn more about machine shorthand on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenotype/
PVR HOLIDAY HOURS
December 5, 2016
TRANSCRIPTS FROM COURT
March 25, 2014
PVR's court reporters have a proud history of transcribing court proceedings. Our court reporters are certified to attend in court to provide court reporting or realtime reporting services. They are also certified to produce transcripts from Supreme Court Civil proceedings, including reasons for judgment, trials, and chambers proceedings. The next time you require a transcript from court, call us at 250-388-7876 and discover the PVR difference. PLEASE NOTE: Supreme Court Civil proceedings can be ordered from any transcription contractor or registered court reporter, provided the transcript is not being funded by either the Provincial Government or Legal Services.
TRANSCRIPT DELIVERY
February 14, 2014
We pride ourselves on accurate transcripts with speedy delivery. Many court reporting firms in B.C. have a regular transcript turnaround time of two weeks, or 10 business days. At PVR, we decided that just isn’t fast enough. We know our clients are busy. When they order a transcript, they don’t want to wait two weeks. This is why, since its inception in 1985, PVR has offered a regular transcript delivery of just 5 business days. Need your transcript even sooner? No problem. We offer expedited (3 days) or rush (next day) delivery options as well.
ETHICS FIRST
January 3, 2014
Our court reporters adhere to a strict code of professional conduct, outlined in the National Court Reporters Association’s Code of Professional Ethics. In addition to the general guidelines in the Code of Ethics, the NCRA also offers Advisory Opinions regarding specific scenarios that court reporters may encounter. The Code of Ethics and the Advisory Opinions can be found here: http://www.ncra.org/About/
In addition, PVR is extremely proud to be a member of the NCRA Ethics First Program, a voluntary program in which "firms and individual reporters agree to abide by the requirements of the NCRA Code of Professional Ethics and to be subject to its sanctions for any violations.” http://www.ncra.org/Ethics First/
DID YOU KNOW?
October 11, 2013
Court reporters use shorthand to capture the spoken word.
Before computers, this shorthand was printed on steno paper in the reporter's shorthand machine. After the proceeding, the court reporter would dictate her shorthand notes, translating into English as she went, and send the dictation to a typist to create the transcript.
Court reporting computer software now takes the reporter's shorthand and instantaneously translates it into English, using that reporter's shorthand-to-English dictionary. Each reporter has a unique dictionary tailored to their style of shorthand.
But how does it work? Kim Neeson, owner of Neeson & Associates in Toronto, has a great blog post entitled “How Do They Do That?”: http://blog.neesoncourtreporting.com/2011/11/that/