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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html3 f8 L& Q- H' v/ H2 k$ u
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; |9 \6 f4 a7 ]& MCALGARY — 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. # W+ C0 `! `3 l9 h: E
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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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3 l! R$ e: f: HThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. ) B4 W" e* q2 Y- {# s# h
0 A2 m! @9 ]. [( G/ r! tRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. ' p, u: n2 ]# _0 P! Y
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 7 j. S- l* R: S$ b {
# U! K& f" N6 }& B! Y6 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. - e- o% o/ G9 g, M+ Z2 ?% _6 a2 [
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It’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.
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1 b0 C% F* t/ `! ^“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. + q+ N/ M5 h G) N1 v
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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.” 3 k- ?* J. g4 F5 i
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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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