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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html6 o1 Z: w7 E* e% w; b, s7 q' t- }
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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.
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3 @: R( J2 r; q; Y+ FAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 0 M- \9 l$ Z6 Z- N- y# h+ r% h( G
% _$ r1 }6 Z5 u0 M1 Z, jThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. $ ]7 g& [. ?2 x% w. S& Q% ~( R8 v3 k
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. # p4 F( y, r6 @$ A
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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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.
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1 \1 Q& _! O# g0 zIt’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. # @( n' |# F' f3 ]
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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; ~" C9 p9 ?9 N# M“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. / [/ |. \3 @: Z9 L" b. [7 I$ 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.”
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0 M7 P0 ~# _, d6 DStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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