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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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: L N3 A# x! s" F3 j3 ECALGARY — 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. * m( o3 Y( o! U1 ^' H
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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. 1 O9 K# T z6 n7 P/ [1 O ?
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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. 2 T, S. ~; I& s; U! R
$ @+ }& r+ D- V# F; D6 T& JRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 7 W& c$ C9 G: f/ W& O4 u
% ~% I+ b" w7 k9 z' OFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 2 F+ B u% h$ |- o
+ o, @4 H( R( o& 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. - z0 O0 e/ d! `$ W* q" _( ]8 `. h
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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. ( b, z: n0 \& }2 |/ c
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 3 E( l, v$ L$ N# R6 u3 e& G
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. + G1 I; S; J' T5 r$ C6 L5 O
1 Z& r! N9 Q/ p' X“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.” / V8 [% _# m m& ^3 O
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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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