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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. 7 r, U# f9 ^- |, m. e6 o& A
- l$ m1 l. B M( M& 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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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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' v; I3 L t2 `# t1 k+ a$ R; VFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 6 Z' r! }$ s; d2 m, [
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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. z$ \& I* }% O9 c+ y& a8 ^
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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. % u( h3 j: K$ Z. i7 k! J
. Y4 q+ T4 M/ \" O' t9 l( D% ?9 pBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. + t" N4 q+ l0 `( k
1 e; P) v8 _7 u. {! o“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. ' J' ^/ C- ?6 K0 L6 T. i
9 j, C7 { M) }/ X2 q“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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