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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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( F: ?+ ^; }4 K/ S/ k/ Z+ ^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 t* z3 h y! r, N, F- r) l& }: k
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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. % H& Z- C8 [4 E) w
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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. 2 J! N8 ]7 V+ s" Q1 S3 x
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 7 }# `- H6 U X: |: }
3 U$ `' m9 `9 \0 k9 E% G, ]. ZFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. " n1 }& h3 w- W# S! _6 ]8 T
9 a" N) W. T5 f9 iThe 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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$ B$ U: T! b* F: D4 _8 o: A; h; bIt’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. ( k% h5 @% Y! @! P+ h, z2 l1 d
% @; ^) f' s& }# f; \But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. " A( s( k) ]7 |! b2 T! T: a7 A2 T
) K- d- I' l. e3 s' c- n( C“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. ; {2 Y: Y1 \' H+ M
1 C! p; `8 @ Z+ {6 O8 i& 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.” * v ~" S" w4 ]/ s% A1 x% J' e# c0 L
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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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