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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html' F# |6 J, g/ v% w
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CALGARY — An agreement between Alberta and the federal government will allow 25,000 foreign workers per year to come to the province to aid in its worker shortage. ; n r9 V$ h/ U |/ H. M6 M5 b
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Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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' ?' S% J. B: O: _5 K5 o& wThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. " K7 W- o6 u9 T* _# ^0 P
/ H: V& R4 v4 K& A! B! y! \& ^Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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. h% G6 _ X7 F v. B* q) qFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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6 Y8 E8 R/ ]- _The pact gives Alberta the power to nominate more immigrants possessing skills needed in the province and also provides more resources to help them settle here. ?. _1 ^! g* z
0 r2 ? O q8 b: u& O) t9 ?It’s a step in the right direction in breaking down time-consuming, frustrating barriers facing immigrants seeking to ply their skills here, said Fariboz Birjandian, chairman of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies.
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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* L3 T$ _0 y, H1 _+ Q“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 2 X. J2 _5 C4 b4 g# D8 [, T% R8 l) A! q
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“And we don’t want Calgary becoming a city where all the rich people live on one side and all the poor on the other.” , K, N" f. @4 e
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Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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