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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.
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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. 4 ?6 j1 y3 s: \1 V
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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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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. & W5 u7 R- \% `
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. - b+ ]- \' U/ f! B/ L8 r, c. D. y
* c- W0 S4 U3 W! mThe 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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q9 P3 S( f& H. tIt’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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* I8 j+ O; ]7 r$ v7 i- aBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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) v4 `4 X3 X/ O5 g; Z“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. ( C' I7 v4 F" P- E: R$ {
8 K- z% s M% B% ^0 m* \ q: ?) }8 F( P7 I“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.” ) l3 M8 n6 |" [, |; D5 e
( `/ ]3 Q8 H; B. jStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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