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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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# t& m1 n0 U5 |+ V8 E- sCALGARY — 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/ F( p1 p5 f( R
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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. & R* c6 o( O* m8 J& f( S
/ m0 ^: K9 I# B: V% oThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
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/ O$ `# n( ~3 m; GRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 2 ?' j8 T# h1 a* r! F) y
4 W8 F9 X$ c) d- {3 l6 iFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. * A1 _% U2 l! m$ w7 M
( i! F- T3 m# `0 e1 c) X; a' _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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# \3 M2 \5 E* ~& E, u! MIt’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. / p( ?5 Z; {7 L+ o4 K6 v
* b0 Y( E% k# x# J5 t# n2 zBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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( M% B @* x* y) i“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 5 Q' k3 U" w! Y/ l. W* G/ {3 G
" J0 w+ g: R; Y( ?( W“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.” # w: `- A/ }. T9 _+ d/ C
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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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