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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html u. \$ v$ P6 D P3 A0 |
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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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Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. * f) z& ?! ^( f& b) d* d4 H& U! r4 n) s
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The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. ! @8 H0 {6 O4 v
; W- R S: T' d8 jFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. : Z" f2 v7 V6 r. ]) J) B3 ^
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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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' f. R# {9 U' X3 Q0 ]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. & g' `" ^% J( }. h6 L0 L
2 o# G- i' I: [But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. : T7 \, D) m7 G: x2 `) V* K8 |
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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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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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