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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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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.
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$ N2 a4 O7 m3 ] ]2 oThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. 8 |3 e+ \5 I C- a/ i; c( n
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 4 R, w$ g" y; B/ e5 I" }7 @7 o X
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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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p& H6 h3 z4 S( |8 C, i# G" ?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. ; K# _( Z: Y: m' ^1 G1 s) I! k1 m0 x
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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* E6 b6 W7 Z2 |/ }- r“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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3 C, I+ j: h, u3 e# s“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.” ' N/ ~+ D# C* d$ [* ^' J
6 v4 v- [$ z& G: L5 aStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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