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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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, V& z4 F8 M- U! `0 L8 cCALGARY — 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. . j3 H9 B2 r. H5 o6 Z$ s6 G4 h* ^
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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.
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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. ) ?5 }. T; j2 S+ ^' e U' X% J# y
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 0 ?+ {2 L% N. o" d6 z
5 ?# k( d& s% J6 KFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 8 h- e7 a# i0 Y
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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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3 A- W. B+ R$ D RIt’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. : L8 p: L$ }4 t. i
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 5 ]" X' c& n' f: b- C
7 ] u1 V) W$ ^2 c9 s/ K% Y2 x& |“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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4 B* w: K/ ]. D8 r+ Y“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.” ) c6 F) T7 \" x+ p$ ^- |. ]5 p
; U) ~5 B! S3 F$ H1 i/ q( ?; mStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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