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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html3 a, V1 l2 V* @ W# d+ f
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# x7 M' m0 S! `9 A" P- h3 uCALGARY — 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. . \% j* ]: H" D2 u# W* m8 x: l
9 P* s+ o2 t& o7 OAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 3 A5 U! Q" G4 o) ^# t% x+ Y
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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. 9 m2 A: ^9 v# n( H% p6 N- q5 \
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. * q }9 Q! t+ ^9 \' Z
: x+ X' {2 {) @# i! Z+ O2 Z$ ~% NFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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' D/ u5 M# L3 I' PThe 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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- r' h* Y) ~- d! F5 MIt’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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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 8 o I$ r% k4 R) E
: G8 Y2 ~9 `5 v- D- y“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 2 A& g: o& a2 ?2 ~
9 f, A* c, q/ M$ w( f“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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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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