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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html0 Z2 A6 K8 B/ A n: w! x
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. _& e* ^; F7 S9 Z( ?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. $ c/ ~2 f! J0 b; W% k& C
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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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' b! N a9 L% z$ MThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. 8 ?) G$ E$ y) z
. f9 @% w% r! s2 y0 q7 O3 ^ T- [Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. ; i" f$ w+ u7 x) f0 i3 l
" \: @% P% u: CFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 2 N6 x9 x# W. U( B( Y
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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.
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q; Z6 r, _0 i0 f" X; lBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. ; p5 J/ t, c- F! C. t7 {" w) @
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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4 J; I7 v3 c# U# W: 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.” ' s4 ]6 y; p0 v( }+ J
( s; K/ d/ u* B7 \" yStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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