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Active and public transportation infrastructure upgrades underway for communities throughout Alberta

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RED DEER, AB, June 26, 2024 /CNW/ – Local infrastructure upgrades are coming to over 50 communities across Alberta through 48 active and rural public transportation projects after a combined investment of more than $60 million from the federal government and recipients.

This was announced by Minister Randy Boissonnault and the Mayor of Red Deer, Ken Johnston.

The City of Red Deer will rehabilitate the Canadian Pacific Railway Bridge, a significant historical landmark which is used as a main active transportation corridor. It is the only dedicated river crossing near the greater downtown and Riverside Meadows. This crossing also benefits more vulnerable communities by providing direct access to social supports located on either side of the bridge.

The Bow Valley region of Banff, Canmore, and Lake Louise will benefit from three new accessible electric transit buses and a charging station, which will improve traffic flow for commuters and visitors to this busy area in the National park. Similarly, in areas such as Cochrane, Rocky View County, and Medicine Hat, the upgrades or enhancements of transit vehicles will benefit the surrounding communities.

Other rural and Indigenous communities receiving funding will benefit from improvements to existing pathway systems and crosswalk infrastructure. Funding will also support better public transit services with new energy-efficient and accessible vehicles, upgraded equipment and improvements to bus stops, and rural transit planning studies and routes.

The details of each project can be found in the accompanying backgrounder.

Quotes

“As communities in Alberta continue to grow, it is vital to have active and rural public transportation infrastructure that meets their evolving needs. Our government’s investment will encourage Albertans to be active and healthy and contribute to a cleaner environment, creating more resilient and stronger communities for everyone.”

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“This investment from the federal government means more than just upgrading infrastructure; it signifies a commitment to the well-being and safety of our community. Rehabilitating the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge not only preserves a significant historical landmark but also enhances connectivity, revitalizes our downtown, and ensures access to essential services for all residents, including those most vulnerable. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive Red Deer.”

His Worship Ken Johnston, Mayor of the City of Red Deer

“Thanks to the support of the Rural Transit Solutions fund, we are thrilled to be able to further expand our zero-emission fleet through the purchase of additional electric buses. Operating Roam Transit services within and around Banff National Park, environmental stewardship is paramount to us and our partner communities. Embracing advanced technologies to reduce emissions underscores our commitment to sustainable transit. Adding additional electric buses marks a pivotal moment in our transition, enhancing our journey to lowering emissions, and moving us towards a greener future”.

Martin Bean, CEO, Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission

Quick Facts

The federal government is investing a total of $36,301,698 through the Active Transportation Fund (ATF), the Rural Transit Solutions Fund (RTSF) and the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The ATF is providing $18,438,784 of this investment for 31 projects, $15,193,328 of this investment is through RTSF in support of 15 projects, and $2,669,586 is through PTIS for two projects. Municipalities and associated funding partners are contributing a total of $24,892,275 to their respective projects.Since 2015, the federal government has committed over $30 billion for public transit and active transportation projects. These historic investments have resulted in close to 2000 projects across the country.Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling all requirements related to consultation with Indigenous groups and environmental assessment obligations.

Active Transportation Fund:

Active transportation refers to the movement of people or goods powered by human activity. It includes walking, cycling and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes, rollerblades, snowshoes, cross-country skis, and more.In support of Canada’s National Active Transportation Strategy, the Active Transportation Fund is providing $400 million over five years, starting in 2021, to make travel by active transportation easier, safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable.The National Active Transportation Strategy is the country’s first coast-to-coast-to-coast strategic approach for promoting active transportation and its benefits. The strategy’s aim is to make data-driven and evidence-based investments to build new and expanded active transportation networks, while supporting equitable, healthy, active, and sustainable travel options.

Rural Transit Solutions Fund:

The RTSF helps Canadians living in rural and remote areas get around their communities more easily. It supports the development of rural transit solutions, including new transit service models that could be replicated or scaled up.A minimum of 10% of RTSF’s funding envelope is allocated to projects that benefit Indigenous populations and communities.RTSF’s Planning and Design Projects continuous intake remains open. Through this stream, eligible applicants can receive a grant up to $50,000 in support of a communities’ projects to plan and design a new or expanded transit solution for their communities. Some examples of eligible planning and design projects are assessment of routes and modes of travel, feasibility studies, public and stakeholder engagement and surveys.The RTSF complements Canada’s strengthened climate plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. Through the plan the federal government has committed to providing federal funding for public transit in support of making clean and affordable transportation available in every community.

Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program)

This stream supports the building, expansion, and upgrading of urban and rural transit networks.Including today’s announcement, eighteen infrastructure projects under the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream have been announced in Alberta, with a total federal contribution of more than $1.97 billion and a total provincial contribution of more than $2.03 billion.In 2021, the government announced significant public transit funding that includes billions in support for zero emission buses, rural transit solution, active transportation, and support for major projects to accelerate the expansion of large urban transit systems that many Canadians depend on every day.Averaging $3 billion a year, this predictable and flexible public transit funding will respond to local needs by enhancing integrated planning, improving access to public transit and active transportation, and by supporting the development of more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive communities.On December 18, 2023, the federal government launched the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, which highlights the need for a collaborative, region-specific approach to sustainability, focusing on strengthening the coordination of federal programs, and initiatives with significant investments. This Framework is a first step in a journey that will bring together multiple stakeholders. PrairiesCan, the federal department that diversifies the economy across the Canadian prairies, has dedicated $100 million over three years to support projects aligned with priority areas identified by Prairie stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable, and inclusive economy for the Prairie provinces and Canada.Infrastructure Canada is supporting the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities, leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the Prairies that better meet their needs. 

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Backgrounder: Active and public transportation infrastructure upgrades are underway for communities throughout Alberta

Associated Links

Active Transportation Fund
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/index-eng.html 

National Active Transportation Strategy
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/active-strat-actif-eng.html

Rural Transit Solutions Fund
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/rural-trans-rural/index-eng.html 

Investing in Canada: Canada’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Public Transit Infrastructure Stream
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/pti-itc-eng.html

Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html 

Federal infrastructure investments in Alberta
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-ab-eng.html

Building a Green Prairie Economy Act
https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-9.88/page-1.html

Building a Green Prairie Economy
https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/programs/green-prairie-economy.html 

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AmeriTrust Solutions Expands Point-of-Care Medicaid Application Support to All 50 States

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Available today, the platform gives hospitals and RCM partners a practical way to help eligible patients pursue coverage without a major IT project.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AmeriTrust Solutions today announced that its Medicaid application platform is available across all 50 U.S. states. As hospitals and revenue cycle management (RCM) partners prepare for Medicaid changes under H.R.1, the platform gives them a practical way to help eligible patients pursue coverage and address uncompensated care at the point of care.

The platform addresses a source of uncompensated care that begins before billing: patients who may qualify for Medicaid but never complete an application. By simplifying the process when the need for coverage is immediate, AmeriTrust Solutions helps patients overcome application barriers and gives hospitals a path to reimbursement for care that might otherwise be written off.

The scale of the problem is substantial: U.S. community hospitals provided $42.7 billion in uncompensated care in 2020, according to the American Hospital Association.

Uninsured encounters are often written off as uncompensated care, even when patients may qualify for Medicaid. Long applications, confusing questions and information patients struggle to gather can stand between them and coverage, leaving hospitals without payment for care that could otherwise qualify for reimbursement.

“Hospitals already know what uncompensated care is costing them,” said Peter Justen, founder and CEO of AmeriTrust Solutions. “They need a practical way to help eligible patients get covered and create a path to payment for the care they provide. That starts with an application patients can actually finish.”

AmeriTrust Solutions uses verified third-party data to prefill available information and plain-language questions to guide patients through what remains. Patients review and certify their information before submission through the state’s existing process. The state makes every eligibility decision.

Available today, the platform is designed for straightforward deployment alongside existing hospital workflows, without a major IT project or replacement of state eligibility systems. Hospitals can begin submitting applications as soon as the platform is live, creating the potential for Medicaid reimbursement within weeks, depending on state eligibility decisions and claims processing. Hospitals can offer the experience under their own brand, giving existing teams a straightforward way to help patients complete applications at intake or the bedside.

RCM partners can add this capability to their hospital offering without developing Medicaid application technology internally. That gives them another way to support hospital clients serving uninsured and self-pay patients, with a focus on helping more applications reach submission.

As healthcare organizations evaluate AI and other new technologies, AmeriTrust Solutions puts the emphasis on a clear, guided application process and the value it can deliver. The platform uses verified information, relevant questions and applicant review to make a complex administrative task more manageable.

“The questions hospital leaders are asking are straightforward: What will this do for us, and how soon can we put it to work?” Justen said. “Our focus is helping patients complete applications now, so hospitals can begin addressing the coverage gaps that contribute to uncompensated care.”

Hospitals and RCM partners can learn more about the platform and discuss deployment at ameritrustsolutions.com/.

About AmeriTrust Solutions
AmeriTrust Solutions helps hospitals and RCM partners reduce uncompensated care by simplifying Medicaid applications at the point of care. Verified data prefill and guided questions help patients complete more accurate applications for submission through existing state eligibility processes. By reducing administrative burden and helping eligible patients access coverage, the company creates a clearer path to reimbursement—supporting rural hospital financial stability and helping preserve local access to care. Visit https://ameritrustsolutions.com/

Media contact
Tina Burgess
AmeriTrust Solutions
(202) 770-0272
pr@ameritrustsolutions.com

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University of Phoenix highlights career-focused, transfer credit-friendly degree programs

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University data highlights affordability as students apply transfer credits toward business, management, healthcare, technology and other career-focused degree programs while reducing education costs

PHOENIX, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — University of Phoenix is recognizing National Transfer Student Week by highlighting the degree programs receiving the highest volumes of transfer credits, demonstrating how adult learners are benefiting from affordability, transparency and certainty as they apply previously earned academic credit toward career-focused degrees. Many of these programs align with occupational fields projected for growth by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, underscoring how students are building on prior academic achievements while pursuing educational pathways connected to workforce needs.

According to University transfer-credit data for the past year, students applied more than 525,000 accepted transfer credits to the Bachelor of Science in Management program and more than 275,000 accepted transfer credits to the Bachelor of Science in Business program. University data also shows associate and bachelor students saved an average of more than $12,010 through transferred credits, excluding military students, underscoring the role transfer pathways can play in making higher education more affordable.

“Transfer credit can help students do more than save time and money,” said Devin Andrews, vice president, Office of Admissions and Evaluations. “It can help them continue making progress toward degrees that align with their professional goals. By recognizing eligible transfer credit, we help students build on what they have already accomplished and focus on the education and skills needed for the next phase of their careers.”

As University of Phoenix celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, the institution is reflecting five decades of helping working adults build on previous academic achievement and professional experience rather than start over. Today, transfer-credit pathways remain an important part of that mission, helping eligible students reduce costs while pursuing degrees aligned with career goals.

Students apply transfer credits across career-focused degree programs

University transfer-credit data shows students are applying significant volumes of transfer credit toward degree programs aligned with business, management, healthcare, public service and technology careers.

Programs receiving the highest volumes of accepted transfer credits include:

Bachelor of Science in Management: 525,085 accepted transfer credits and 447,622 applied transfer credits.Bachelor of Science in Business: 275,745 accepted transfer credits and 243,281 applied transfer credits.Bachelor of Science in Health Administration: 165,159 accepted transfer credits.Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration: 159,810 accepted transfer credits and 139,898 applied transfer credits.Bachelor of Science in Information Technology: 140,604 accepted transfer credits.Bachelor of Science in Social Work: 135,583 accepted transfer credits.

These programs represent areas where students are frequently building on previously earned academic credits as they continue toward degree completion and career goals.

University of Phoenix transfer student Joshua Barron decided to earn his degree while working full time and raising his child. “I have always had a goal of earning my bachelor’s degree,” said Barron, who came to the University with previous college credit. “I transferred credits from another college and used self-paced provider options to accelerate my progress. What started as a goal became a clear path toward achieving the degree I wanted for my future.”

Affordable degree pathways align with growing workforce needs

Several of the University’s most popular transfer-friendly programs align with occupations projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to experience faster-than-average employment growth through 2034. Management occupations, Healthcare occupations, and Information Technology occupations all fall into high-growth categories according to BLS projections.

Learn more about transfer-credit opportunities

Students interested in learning how previously earned credits may apply toward a degree program can learn more here.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is Built for Real Life. 50 Years Strong. The University innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world through flexible online learning, relevant courses, academic AI pillars, and skills-mapped curriculum for associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Active students and alumni have access to Career Services for Life® resources including career guidance and tools. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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/C O R R E C T I O N – Verisave/

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In the news release, Verisave appoints Payments Veteran Chris Lefebvre as Chief Executive Officer to Drive Product Development and Growth, issued 22-Oct-2026 by Verisave over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that changes have been made. The complete, corrected release follows, with additional details at the end:

Verisave appoints Payments Veteran Chris Lefebvre as Chief Executive Officer to Drive Product Development and Growth

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Verisave, a leading provider of payments optimization solutions, today announced the appointment of Chris Lefebvre as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2026. Lefebvre, who joins from Fiserv, succeeds Jeremy Layton, who will transition into the role of Founder and Chief Commercial Officer to ensure strategic continuity.

Lefebvre brings more than 30 years of executive leadership across payments, financial services and technology, with a track record of guiding companies through growth, transformation and successful exits. He led financial services for a major retailer and was selected to serve on the Merchant Advisory Board for the card networks. As COO of BankServ, he led the company’s national expansion and its successful exit. Lefebvre has since held C-suite roles at eCommerce sales and marketing companies, after which he founded CRC, a management and strategy consulting firm serving regulated companies in healthcare, energy and financial services. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Relationship Management for Grocery, Petroleum, and Technology at Fiserv, and was instrumental in reshaping their client engagement strategy.

“I am extremely proud of the work Verisave has done over the years,” said Jeremy Layton, Verisave Founder and Chief Commercial Officer. “I am confident in our ability to continue bringing solutions and transparency to an industry that is largely unregulated and highly complex. Our clients increasingly need better solutions to control costs and manage their payments proactively. Chris brings deep payments expertise and a track record of building products and solutions around this need.”

“Verisave has built something rare: a trusted platform that delivers real and measurable value for its clients,” said Chris Lefebvre. “What drew me to the role is how much opportunity lies ahead, both in deepening our core solutions and expanding our reach across the broader financial ecosystem. I’m energized by the prospect of working with such a talented team as we look to accelerate Verisave’s growth and bring even greater value to our clients.”

About Verisave
Verisave is a payments optimization and consultancy firm, specializing in merchant account, payments stack, processing fee, and interchange fee solutions. Verisave identifies wasted spend and inefficiencies within the payments operations and merchant account settings, bringing significant direct and operational cost savings to clients. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, the company is backed by Ceto Capital. Learn more at verisave.com

Media Contact:
Samuel Barber
sam@pitchr.ai

Correction: A headshot of Chris Lefebvre has been added.

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