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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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( J' E: M# V& X3 p. _7 VCALGARY — 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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Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 5 c5 f1 y( J7 q! c1 c& [
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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. W) j @2 g, t- r" | |
/ ^# u P/ E' _Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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! N: k+ N# D8 d! u& S! p1 H( PFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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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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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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, V1 c2 a! F$ j$ IBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. d8 o p% g* n( @! W" |
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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5 D' c# y7 Q, L3 x% f) g“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.” 0 G, S/ a- m- O% z
8 y2 s7 V' F$ r% L) m1 i+ r: A) `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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