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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. / {. R3 Z6 [2 v6 S. V( r" v0 U$ I
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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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. i$ s1 {8 }9 R' x. aThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
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6 @+ h) V, P4 m1 aRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. , V0 I# g: J7 D" j7 @: I" L+ r2 U
1 u! K$ f* t+ G9 L" ?Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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5 d7 ~0 E) K2 B4 l% s1 O5 jThe 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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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. & H; h% R3 L# h
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. . f! m2 }) x1 Y$ |% G- Q5 _* u3 q
$ G7 m$ i9 G( t8 }4 C T“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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# `" D+ n8 _0 m, b“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.” 2 u. i0 \" C* H0 @* z
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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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