Bow Valley College introduces an English proficiency exemption

Removing barriers for newcomers and international students

Calgary, March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bow Valley College is announcing an exciting change to its admissions process for many international students and newcomers to Canada. Applicants from almost 50 countries around the world are now exempt from taking an English language proficiency test.

“Bow Valley College prides itself on removing barriers to learning. This landmark change provides students from countries where English is the primary language of education the opportunity to realize their academic dreams with a more seamless entry,” says Kara Mott, Dean, Enrolment Management and Registrar, Bow Valley College.

To qualify, applicants must provide transcripts that show completion of required secondary (high school) or post-secondary education. The change applies to virtually all Bow Valley College programs.

“As a former international student, I know firsthand what preparing for an English language proficiency test is like. An exemption for some of our prospective students means one less step, saving them time and money. It will be a game changer,” says Trisha Choudhury, Manager, International Student Recruitment, Bow Valley College.

Please visit our website for a list of countries now exempt from the English language proficiency test and details about the requirements.

About Bow Valley College 
Calgary and region’s only Comprehensive Community College — with 14,000 full- and part-time students, Bow Valley College helps Open Doors – Open Minds to in-demand jobs in Calgary, Alberta, and Canada. Our graduates contribute to the digital economy, careers in business, TV & film production, and serve on the frontlines of healthcare and social services. Bow Valley College invests in three applied research pillars: educational technology, social innovation, and health.

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Shannon van Leenen, Senior Media Relations Specialist
Bow Valley College
403-671-3274
shvanleenen@bowvalleycollege.ca

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8791681

Constellation Brands Announces New Donation to The Nature Conservancy to Protect the Rio Grande Watershed, Serving Communities in the U.S. and Mexico

A two-year commitment of $400,000 will further advance Constellation’s water stewardship in communities where it operates.

VICTOR, N.Y., March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today a two-year commitment of $400,000 in total contributions to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), whose mission is to “conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.” This contribution will help fund TNC conservation projects focused on improving the quantity and quality of inflows to the Rio Grande, which is the fifth longest river in the world and supplies drinking and irrigation water for more than 6 million people and 2 million acres of land across the U.S. and Mexico1. These projects are aimed at helping to provide adequate and safe water supply for downstream users, including in Piedras Negras, Coahuila – a local community near Constellation Brands’ operations in Mexico.

A portion of the contribution will be used to support expanding TNC’s Sustainable Agriculture Program to the Rio Grande Basin. This program will scale TNC’s existing partnerships with state agencies, agricultural producers, and landowners to expand sustainable agriculture and grazing practices in the Rio Grande Basin and help landowners with technical assistance and cost-share programs. This program is designed to partner with agricultural producers to implement changes in water management practices to support conservation and provide meaningful benefits to both water quantity and quality in priority areas.

The remaining contribution will support an ongoing Groundwater Protection Program focused on protecting the regional aquifer systems that feed into the Lower Rio Grande, which are critical to maintaining its health and resiliency. By building strategic partnerships, investing in groundwater conservation science development, and developing groundwater conservation agreements with landowners, this project will be aimed at helping improve water management to protect the largest portion of borderlands water originating in Texas.

These programs complement the company’s water stewardship efforts originating in Mexico and benefitting the local communities surrounding Constellation Brands’ operating facilities in areas like Zaragoza, Coahuila where the company recently helped implement new water infrastructure which has improved water accessibility for the majority of families, or approximately 13,000 people, in this town.

“We look forward to collaborating with TNC to deliver sustainable water solutions that help support the livelihoods of our families, neighbors, and local residents in communities near our operations,” said Mike McGrew, Constellation Brands’ Executive Vice President and Chief Communications, CSR, and Diversity Officer. “When members of the business community, local residents, government officials, and NGOs work together to ensure the long-term viability of our communities, everyone benefits.”

In addition to helping improve water quality and quantity for the broader community, these programs are expected to provide volumetric benefits toward Constellation’s water restoration goals. Between Fiscal Year 2023 and Fiscal Year 2025, Constellation is targeting to restore approximately 1.1 billion gallons of water withdrawals from local watersheds, while improving accessibility and quality of water for communities where the company operates. To achieve this target, Constellation developed a strategy focused on water efficiency, watershed restoration, and water accessibility and quality. More information about Constellation’s water stewardship strategy and efforts can be found on the company’s website at www.cbrands.com under the Sustainability section or within the company’s ESG Impact Report. To watch a brief video highlighting Constellation’s ESG strategy, click here.

For more information about Constellation’s previous contributions to TNC, click here.

1 According to data from the International Boundary and Water Commission

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The word “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate to our business and ESG strategies, future plans, events, performance, targets, goals, or objectives, future operations, future environmental, financial, or social metrics and programs, or expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur.

The forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Constellation Brands does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

In addition to risks and uncertainties associated with ordinary business operations, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are subject to the risk, uncertainty, and possible variance from our current expectations regarding: future global economic conditions; market conditions; regulatory conditions; unanticipated environmental liabilities and costs; changes to governmental rules and regulations; the actions of competitors; consumer expectations and preferences; and other factors and uncertainties disclosed from time-to-time in Constellation Brands’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2022 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2022, which could cause actual future performance to differ from current expectations.

ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS

At Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. It’s worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. It’s what has made us one of the fastest-growing large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver what’s next.

Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, our fine wine and craft spirits brands, including The Prisoner Wine Company, Robert Mondavi Winery, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey, and our premium wine brands such as Meiomi, and Kim Crawford.

But we won’t stop here. Our visionary leadership team and passionate employees from barrel room to boardroom are reaching for the next level, to explore the boundaries of the beverage alcohol industry and beyond. Join us in discovering what’s Worth Reaching For.

To learn more, visit www.cbrands.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS
Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 / michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com
Amy Martin 585-678-7141 / amy.martin@cbrands.com
Joseph Suarez 773-551-4397 / joseph.suarez@cbrands.com
Snehal Shah 847-385-4940 / snehal.shah@cbrands.com
David Paccapaniccia 585-282-7227 / david.paccapaniccia@cbrands.com

A downloadable PDF copy of this news release can be found here: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/9dd6e0ec-507d-4434-9a1e-2798bc58c073

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8791540

Willscot Mobile Mini to Participate in 2023 Markel Shareholders Meeting

PHOENIX, March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (“WillScot Mobile Mini” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: WSC), the North American leader in innovative flexible space and storage solutions, today announced that Tim Boswell, President and Chief Financial Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the 2023 Annual Shareholders Meeting of Markel Corporation in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. To register for the event, please visit the 2023 Markel Shareholders Meeting site.

Tim Boswell, President and Chief Financial Officer of WillScot Mobile Mini, commented, “I am excited to participate in the 2023 Markel Shareholders meeting and engage with like-minded peers and investors who share a passion for long-term value investing. Markel Corporation’s sustained track record of delivering superior returns both within its operations and in its investment portfolio has attracted and rewarded an enviable and devoted shareholder base. Like Markel Corporation, WillScot Mobile Mini believes that values-based leadership and alignment of customer, employee, and shareholder interests are the foundation for delivering sustainable growth and compounding returns over time. While our business operations may be different, our underlying business philosophies are strikingly similar, and I will discuss how this drives our strategy and capital allocation in the context of our modular space and storage leasing portfolio. Thank you to Tom Gayner and the Markel team for including WillScot Mobile Mini in their impressive agenda. I look forward to meeting and exchanging ideas with thought leaders, investment experts, and other friends of Markel.”

About WillScot Mobile Mini

WillScot Mobile Mini trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “WSC.” Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the Company is a leading business services provider specializing in innovative flexible space and storage solutions. WillScot Mobile Mini services diverse end markets across all sectors of the economy from a network of approximately 240 branch locations and additional drop lots throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Additional Information and Where to Find It
Additional information can be found on the company’s website at www.willscotmobilemini.com.

Contact Information
Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries:
Nick Girardi Jake Saylor
investors@willscotmobilemini.com jake.saylor@willscot.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8791040

Descartes’ Annual Ecommerce Study Shows Slightly Improved Home Delivery Performance as 67% of Consumers Still Face Delivery Problems

Figure 1

Consumer actions in the face of delivery problems

ATLANTA and LONDON, March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq: DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released the results of its second annual consumer sentiment study of ecommerce home delivery. The study of over 8,000 consumers across ten European and North American countries provides retailers and logistics organizations with critical insights into consumer purchase and delivery preferences and concerns.

“This past year’s growth slowdown in ecommerce and home delivery has resulted in a 6% improvement in delivery performance versus the 2022 study; however, 67% of the consumers surveyed still experienced a delivery failure in the three-month evaluation period,” said Chris Jones, EVP, Industry and Services at Descartes. “What’s more, 68% of those affected by delivery problems took some form of action that translated into negative consequences for the retailer or delivery company (see Figure 1), indicating that the pandemic grace period is over and consumers are becoming intolerant of poor delivery performance.”

Figure 1: Consumer actions in the face of delivery problems

Consumer actions in the face of delivery problems

Source: Descartes & SAPIO Research

Additional key findings include:

  • Top three delivery problems are all related to timeliness;
  • Security is the most important element of the home delivery process; and
  • Preference for low-cost delivery is twice as important as delivery speed.

The annual study analyzes consumer ecommerce buying behavior. It investigates the causes of increases or decreases in ecommerce purchases, the kinds of goods purchased, the frequency of purchases, and which purchases are being delivered. In addition, it provides insight into customer delivery personas, services, charges and performance. Most importantly, it analyzes the overall importance that consumers place on delivery performance and the impact of delivery failures on future purchases while also providing demographic-based analysis of results. To learn more, read the full study Dear Consumer: How Do You Feel About Home Delivery Now?

Descartes’ ecommerce logistics solutions help retailers and logistics services providers deliver a superior customer experience. The home delivery solution covers a wide range of critical capabilities including delivery appointment booking, route planning, mobile applications and customer communications. These products and services engage the customer at the point of purchase through order fulfillment and the successful completion of the delivery, provide opportunities to upsell value-added delivery services and keep customers up-to-date with the status of their delivery. The warehouse management and integrated parcel shipping solutions help small-to-midsize retailers scale their ecommerce business improving fulfillment reliability, speed and productivity as well as use the right carrier and service to minimize shipping costs.

Learn more about Descartes’ Home Delivery Solutions and its Ecommerce Shipping & Fulfillment Solutions.

About Descartes

Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack                                                    
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025                        
cstrohack@descartes.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f4c8e801-21a8-4c1f-be6d-34876a6c6903

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8790509

Travel demand to surge during coming holidays

Outbound tours are preferred by Vietnamese travellers for the coming holidays starting on April 29, according to travel agents and tour operators.

Working people will enjoy five consecutive days off from April 29 to May 3 to celebrate the commemoration of the Hung Kings (the nation legendary founders) that falls on April 29, the National Reunification Day on April 30 and International Labour Day on May 1, which has prompted a surge in tour bookings.

Tran Phuong Linh, marketing and IT director of BenThanh Tourist, said some customers can arrange to extend their holiday to nine days for long-haul outbound destinations.

BenThanh Tourist reported an increase of 30-40% in tour bookings for the coming holidays compared to last year.

Tours to Hong Kong and Taiwan have been fully booked one and a half months ahead of the Reunification Day and International Labour Day holidays, Linh said.

Saigontourist is offering more than 200 inbound and outbound tours for the holidays.

The company expects to serve more than 100,000 leisure and MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, exhibition) customers.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, marketing director of Vietravel, said more than 3,000 customers have booked tours for the Reunification Day & International Labour Day holidays, with outbound tours accounting for 70% of overall tour bookings.

Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan Island, and Dubai are favourite destinations, Khanh said.

Nguyen Minh Man, marketing and communications director of TSTtourist, said domestic tours to islands and beaches as well as tourist destinations in the Central Highlands, and central and northern regions were mostly chosen for the coming holidays.

The company expects to serve 2,000 customers during the holidays, Man said.

The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will operate additional 52 train services between April 28 and May 3 to meet rising travel demand for the holidays.

In the north, it will add 22 train services connecting Hanoi with Lao Cai, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi, and Da Nang.

In the south, it will add 28 train services connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, and Phan Thiet.

It will also run two more trains connecting Hanoi and HCM City during the holidays./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese FM suggests expanding cooperation in areas of UK’s strength

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 20 for British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew, during which he hailed the latter for actively promoting bilateral activities over the past years.

Son said the signing and enforcement of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement has made the UK the third largest trade partner in Europe and the ninth largest export market of Vietnam and the most important European investor in the country despite impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He asked Frew to continue facilitating the exchange of all-level delegations, effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms and work closely with Vietnamese partners to hold activities celebrating the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties this year.

The host suggested both sides maintain effective cooperation in traditional areas such as trade – investment, education – training, national defence – security while expanding collaboration in new fields where the UK has strength and Vietnam has development priorities such as green growth and climate change adaptation.

Son spoke highly of the UK’s role in promoting the building of a Just Energy Transition Partnership framework between Vietnam and international partners. He proposed the UK continue assisting Vietnam in terms of experience, technology transfer, green finance and human resource development in this field.

Frew, for his part, affirmed that with its policy towards the Indo-Pacific region, the UK attaches great importance to developing its relations with Vietnam on the basis of political trust, close cooperation at multilateral and regional forums, solid economic relations and rich potential for cooperation in the future, especially in new fields and development trends of the world, including sustainable energy transition and climate change response.

To improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation, the ambassador vowed to work closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other ministries and agencies to build practical cooperation plans in the coming time./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam win Asian Beach Handball Championship gold medal

Vietnam have successfully defended their title at the Asian Beach Handball Championship in Bali, Indonesia.

The Vietnamese women won all six of their matches to win the tournament.

They also secured their place at the 2024 World Beach Handball Championship and the 2023 Asian Beach Games.

Joining the March 10-19 tournament, Vietnam faced Hong Kong (China), the Philippines and the hosts in a two-leg round robin format group on their way to maintaining as their status as Asia’s No 1./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency