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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html; B4 h9 f3 O1 B+ g& b
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0 P. v3 R* O% J, o) d. M3 T! j9 ICALGARY — 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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4 j1 i+ R' @1 h" C+ hAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. & i- G7 o9 z- d4 k; t
" N" u& D+ Z5 iThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
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' {4 Q* a o+ c$ |9 ?- `Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. $ m. y/ Y5 L4 G6 P0 h
' m. q0 Q& }& }3 M l% _9 PFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. # ~$ @, Y, i2 N' H1 a- `3 o2 s# }7 a$ o' ]
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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. ; V& J( L; d; Y/ b+ b+ s, A& R
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 2 v$ G- u# ^6 w$ E- h& O! M2 E- `
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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.” ; U) {" Z0 a8 h- y. P K$ y: O: S, Z) o
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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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