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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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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. 4 _. i% C/ ^$ u9 U- Z; `& u
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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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$ Z) p' F, }2 R# d' b" l6 F, TThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. 3 j5 @# F# d( G {8 v2 w6 X
/ [% [0 t9 T# r& q9 v/ f2 s( @Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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K4 A- p- s9 t6 `: }( \Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. # N0 R: Z- p& p8 R$ I
) |' a4 m9 y7 v6 g& e* kThe 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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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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/ L& h0 D% A8 J% xBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 1 u+ g5 C: ]% L# i+ o/ L* d# _
0 _& z" s& K7 Q6 n8 V“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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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 ?% L5 q! W9 c
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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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