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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html+ o" @ |: |5 p5 \% x
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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. ( H, J5 u+ p4 X/ N
2 w5 A9 w1 M3 k# ]( vAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. % z5 y; t: `% c2 I6 l: H+ m. B: u4 Q
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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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2 W7 p/ h( w+ MRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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4 W9 }4 `! `/ I0 QFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 9 C9 k1 c: g* h7 v2 D
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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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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. : b D7 W4 S" g1 z9 M
H& S# l! O; W7 p4 e) zBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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0 k j1 A. g4 h5 r* ?- i5 X“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. : y1 U' m( _- Q% J8 s* q6 x
. |1 W" |, e6 F4 G: A) `“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.” ! Q5 X8 H4 m8 S; p/ C: P( d
/ N" b5 a7 {8 Q+ O% |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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