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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html5 ?8 A1 x8 P- k; d. Q
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8 V, p; W* j5 k# I1 W8 V, iCALGARY — 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.
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' ~& z, {) i" U0 C# KAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. ) C; A- R+ E y+ M! Z- K3 R5 W
& r2 u2 W" W$ GThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
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0 y7 U. S7 V. O" _6 YRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 6 @1 C- M) X0 a) K; ?- S
9 n+ x6 k2 p8 R. ^; S/ cFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 3 Y. S3 e/ ~8 z. t9 T5 Z7 s: q0 p$ k
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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. ' z6 [ s6 L& N. `6 \5 n
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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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( ^3 y1 n, B7 z, k( Z9 [But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. & s, B0 r3 C( @- f
" \, p' L/ |# L+ m) S“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 8 J3 E# T' I( z% f# Q& u: I' E
4 \6 U3 y7 i7 f7 z8 r$ P“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.”
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+ a' ~9 I" P+ L7 G7 \4 q2 _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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