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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html$ H% Y7 v& P8 s8 \' s
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, b# h9 D5 D- f9 T' qCALGARY — 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. - S( R) e5 h9 x2 t( q5 w+ g
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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. 9 i+ [: z3 }& |$ n
$ }& G( _1 u5 VRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. ) ?- x) w* q/ G
3 d% \# x- g8 d `# ~Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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( Q/ h9 g {3 Q5 SThe 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. 3 W/ g' H7 p6 }
/ i A7 ^, b y. MIt’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. ) i5 ~; @+ p% L, r" t7 U
. N# L S9 h% T1 `" L4 U$ ABut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. . ^, r* Y" \8 O! k6 w0 y
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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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.” / k9 U) E& }* _" I7 P
! J) x2 D3 |! _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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