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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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4 G, E9 h4 C# S* o: m* \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. 0 D0 h( D7 `+ W9 A) }) f& Y
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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. . f% g( a4 F1 c* d/ Q
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The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. ) k& h2 {" w. x
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. & B' l) ~8 Z; E" O6 [
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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. ) ~5 G2 C) g& Z' p0 r. Z& _8 ~
Y* L- u% Q2 \- 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. $ G6 b+ B! h, n8 C
8 ^9 u( g* R( rBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
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& R) i8 g/ ^. @ S3 j“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. ) y! W5 `' D* x* s' F) D
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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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9 J5 @. u6 G& |0 s8 l* T6 `1 j4 dStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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