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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html) O8 Z9 U6 ]7 o, v/ [) D
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9 K; P: x% _1 ~. F6 yCALGARY — 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.
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. x& X$ ~8 G0 j/ HAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. * e" U4 M/ _& @: P" H
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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.
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. . v' T: L f* @ @4 k0 e
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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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; b Y( I7 z- I, [4 Y. DThe 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. R4 G% A# |8 X2 _( I
) T0 D/ e# P) {7 JIt’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. ]4 O- Q7 S( s4 m2 A
% T- s7 B8 U9 ZBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. $ l' d4 e4 L& z& n
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. & r2 e a5 h; A1 P r
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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.” 1 b& d3 L2 E' m! {8 M- a' R
4 G: Q; I3 L7 J1 kStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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