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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. 9 F4 i* Q4 A4 D& g$ a- t9 P
% H2 m4 @; S$ n1 V5 U% s& t8 cAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 3 u3 D, [5 A; }( ~9 l
7 `) v4 X2 s+ y1 w; yThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. * J2 n% L! ]0 W2 s2 c
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. - X3 y3 d* e1 c1 G/ v
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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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. ! p" F. a; K; Z* k8 t9 T
" h2 d# @9 U+ I; eIt’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. : X8 `5 L% G! l+ n9 g# {0 L8 k% m
3 B2 p4 f `" G/ yBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. ! z% n, S- n- T# J
; l2 i5 J) e# c: C“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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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.”
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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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