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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html" }, t" q' T. r# s: {' u, T
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' W) A3 I6 b$ C' l+ HCALGARY — 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. 7 f2 h+ G& |6 |4 k7 O" f
& U- r, [" }5 j5 O6 QAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. # {* F4 q( H: M. A; `$ H
: H2 a) b, V8 p, B5 ^/ R) |8 ]. wThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
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/ |# [0 [3 y: @% }Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 0 w) |$ d7 i% S
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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.
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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.
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4 }$ |, l2 k7 j8 bBut 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. ( S5 m8 q9 T) e$ p& d! V/ i
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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.” + j) I8 G6 J! [% |5 [
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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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