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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html& ?7 Y* O9 B2 R! B H
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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. : @: e: \9 |1 G& h$ p7 i, {
7 F& F# Q( C: Y [# k! G% VAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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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. / P4 P/ n2 T' o
6 ^$ g% ?0 O2 T2 g0 \Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. # l3 i. b5 p& G: m4 n. f0 G1 w3 c8 V" b! x
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. ( `$ N$ V, `9 w! y) d3 R
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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. 5 V ^, {7 |% `
' C& m/ |& s0 }( n+ i% R+ A wIt’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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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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. u/ B2 @ `, |# X( k6 A“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 9 d& Z5 x$ ~: @, l$ f
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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.”
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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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