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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html0 Y+ q0 T& ?# K K" Z, c" [
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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. % J& i! }- z0 `, V
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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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7 H0 K3 Q; D2 M1 n6 iThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. ; d9 J# X9 J; F; o( i# B. {/ p( S1 [
; v) J4 g2 ~: G# @Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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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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* j, U9 `0 \1 cThe 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. / @+ E% l* p7 c( l& V
* s+ Q' b) e! {: n, J, ^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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9 d$ r0 u0 y2 Q5 ]# gBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 8 [& o1 B5 p# J: }4 l
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. . B/ u+ F' o) H( S
- B: e$ E& Y. [% o“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.” $ ~: F/ \; W1 l/ _" U1 W9 n
1 `& j) W" s/ \6 d9 e$ MStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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