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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html* Z$ n c1 ]1 ^7 y* p
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2 M( F3 Z: f G: zCALGARY — 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. ; L1 N# b' b s3 z% j+ U- ^
" L2 l' h$ l, m+ `Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. ; H9 A5 @5 _3 E
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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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7 _1 z- L" H1 f* V3 K M$ rRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. & h8 X9 r G/ B* K" g( I- w, T
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. - {* V- A& N' T, A9 V. L! L+ [
$ b; ~" B, b" g& a% \$ @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. : `4 z4 y$ e! `2 [2 f: C4 F2 ?
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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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0 V5 A* K3 q8 W. f jBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. + C4 z* q: t8 N; |8 q$ t
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. % `- b O7 e" K9 h. \! U
0 C' O& X/ `/ y“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.” ! L1 f2 D& W c2 q q2 [+ E
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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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