The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is in the midst of a public consultation http://idnconsultation.ca on the use of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in the .CA domain. Specifically, CIRA is proposing to support the use of French characters in .CA domain names.

After making an initial proposal and conducting an extensive consultation in 2011, CIRA has recently published a revised proposed policy. In a nutshell:

[...] CIRA is proposing the "bundling" of character variants. This means that the holder of a particular domain name would have the exclusive right to register all of the variants of that domain name, and that no one else could register any of those domains. For example, only the holder of preside.ca would have the option to register préside.ca, prèsïdë.ca, prësîdê.ca, etc. In addition, only the holder of the domain name préside.ca would have the option to register preside.ca. A Registrant could also choose to only register an IDN domain name (e.g. grâce.ca) and not the ASCII version (grace.ca). As all variants of the same domain name could only be registered by the same Registrant, in the event a transfer of a domain name takes place, whether voluntary or involuntary (e.g. as a result of a dispute), all variants of the same domain name would have to be transferred at the same time.

The revised policy ensures that the registrant holding the rights to the bundle of accented variants of a .CA domain name will be free to choose which, if any, variants to register and how to use them. It protects existing and new domain holders from possible exploitation of the IDN versions of .CA domain names, while imposing no required additional costs. It eliminates the need for any sort of start up process involving Sunrise/Landrush periods, deadlines, etc. to protect existing .CA domain holders. Also, CIRA is "planning a comprehensive communication and education plan, in order to ensure .CA holders will be aware of their option to register variants of their domain names, and to address concerns about how Internet users will be able to access French domain names."

Opening up the .CA domain to both of Canada's official languages is a worthwhile endeavor. The revised policy proposal is most welcome, and is a substantial improvement on the initial proposal.

What do you think of the revised policy? Please consider getting involved by making a formal submission or by participating in the online discussion. The consultation closes on Friday, February 24.

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for February 1st, 2012 has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

To receive this list by email, simply log in to your account at Webnames.ca go to 'account settings' then click on the 'email subscriptions' tab and check the box for Marketing and Promotions emails, or you can contact us at tbr@webnames.ca . These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012.

allforyou.ca
apartmentloans.ca
artfulhealing.ca
bowlingnight.ca
busking.ca
celebrates.ca
circumcised.ca
cleanrugs.ca
cobbler.ca
coolgirls.ca
downloadthis.ca
electrification.ca
filebuddy.ca
filepal.ca
freeyourmind.ca
getjustice.ca
greenhomeguide.ca
growvancouver.ca
humanhealth.ca
imaginarium.ca
luckylovers.ca
minimise.ca
modernconflict.ca
mydefense.ca
nvc.ca
paylessshop.ca
pettime.ca
placesintown.ca
purehookup.ca
prude.ca
readme.ca
supershopping.ca
swirls.ca
thorny.ca
vancouverdrapery.ca
vancouvermortgageinfo.ca
weappreciateyou.ca
webdevelopmentcalgary.ca
whereiscanada.ca
yoursecrets.ca

 

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s)

Or,

1. Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

 

CIRA To Host 2012 Canadian Internet Forum - The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has announced that the 2012 Canadian Internet Forum in-person event will take place on Monday, February 27 in Ottawa. There is no cost for participation, and registrations are now being accepted.

New gTLD Application Process Passes One-Week Mark - ICANN reports that its application system for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) is functioning smoothly. There is a two-stage application process: the deadline to register in the TLD Application System is March 29, and the deadline for registrants to submit gTLD applications is April 12. As of January 19, there are 25 successful registrants. Each registrant can apply for up to 50 new gTLDs. In early May, ICANN will publish a list of applicants and applications.

Report Released on the Contribution of .AU to Australia's Economy - A report has been published finding that "the .au domain has created more than 4300 full-time jobs and contributed $475 million to the Australian economy last year." The report [pdf] was commissioned by auDA, the Australian domain name administrator, and by AusRegistry, the .au registry operator.

Picks To Click

• The 2012 .CA Impact Awards has opened for entries. Applications are being accepted until March 23.
• Afilias has acquired the .pro registry from Hostway Corporation. Afilias now supports 17 top-level domains.
• ICANN has published the framework for its FY 2013 budget.
• Candidates for the ICANN CEO position should submit their applications by February 17.

Timeline

• Mon, Feb 27: Canadian Internet Forum in Ottawa
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica
• Fri, Mar 23: last day for 2012 .CA Impact Awards entries
• Thu, Apr 12: last day for new gTLD applications

The 9th Annual Small Business BC Successful You Awards are taking place in Vancouver on February 28th, 2012 at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

The Successful You Awards recognizes and celebrates the important contributions of BC's entrepreneurs to their local communities and the wider global economy. The awards contest is free to enter and open to all new and existing small businesses across B.C.

This year's Top 10 finalists were announced earlier in the year. Nominees were selected by residents of BC who benefit from these businesses, with votes collected online using various social media platforms.

For the February 28th ceremony, Small Business BC has just announced Trevor Linden as keynote speaker! He will share his ideas on leadership and team work in hockey and how those lessons have helped him build a successful career in business.

Emceeing the event will be long time news anchor and reporter for Global BC, Aaron McArthur.

Don't miss this great event that showcases the entrepreneurial talent of British Columbia. Early Bird tickets are on sale now for just $49!

Webnames.ca President and Vice-Chair on the Board of Small Business BC, Cybele Negris, is proud to have been chosen, once again as a judge for the awards.

Visit www.successfulyou.ca for more information.

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for January 25th, 2012 has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

To receive this list by email, simply log in to your account at Webnames.ca go to 'account settings' then click on the 'email subscriptions' tab and check the box for Marketing and Promotions emails, or you can contact us at tbr@webnames.ca . These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012.

asianlife.ca
backlight.ca
blx.ca
bodycentre.ca
bronzedbeauty.ca
buzzle.ca
calgaryfilm.ca
canadianparent.ca
canadianteen.ca
chowtimes.ca
combustibles.ca
concierto.ca
disses.ca
dlisted.ca
eachtime.ca
envisions.ca
grope.ca
hockeygeeks.ca
jadoredance.ca
loveisnothing.ca
lovemore.ca
lyricsmania.ca
mobiledeal.ca
montrealconference.ca
naturaldiet.ca
oldfriends.ca
parkingpermits.ca
pizzaexperts.ca
ravish.ca
razzor.ca
referable.ca
retaildeals.ca
rth.ca
rugbycanda.ca
runningmaps.ca
safetyworld.ca
scouted.ca
skinnydippers.ca
smartpet.ca
stopstress.ca
tantalize.ca
thatslife.ca
thishome.ca
uniquefoods.ca
vancouverskiresorts.ca
viewmontreal.ca
viewottawa.ca
viewvancouver.ca
woofing.ca
zyc.ca

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s)

Or,

1. Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is organization that manages Canada's .CA domain name registry. They also develop policies that support Canada's Internet community. The 2012 CIRA Board of Directors Elections are coming up and the first part of that process is to round up a group of Canadian professionals to serve on the Nomination Committee.

The Nomination Committee's role is to solicit and select qualified Candidates for the Nomination Committee Slate of CIRA's Board Election. The Nomination Committee consists of six to 12 individuals appointed by CIRA's Board of Directors to identify a roster of Candidates who represent the diverse geographical, gender, linguistic, cultural, and professional make-up of Canada to help CIRA achieve its mission and strategic objectives.

The Benefits of Serving on the Nomination Committee

• Serve a two-year term with the objective of building a Member-elected Board of Directors that represents a wide range of views and interests.

• Make a valuable contribution to the strategic direction of .CA and Canadian Internet policy.

• Network and learn from professionals from across Canada.

• Gain valuable insight and experience around technical innovation, Internet policy and organizational governance.

• Select Candidates at a meeting in Ottawa. Travel expenses will be reimbursed.

 
The Responsibilities of Serving on the Nomination Committee

• Solicit names of individuals who could help position CIRA and .CA for operational excellence.

• Develop and provide to the Board a list of skills, experience and demographic criteria for Directors, necessary to ensure balanced representation and effective governance that will help CIRA achieve its goals.

• Provide CIRA's Board of Directors and Members a slate of Candidates from which the Members will elect Directors.

• Identify, interview, and check references of prospective Candidates, as required, for vacant positions on the Board.

Application deadline is January 20, 2012! Apply today

Review the Selection criteria

Learn more about CIRA's Election process.

Review CIRA's by-laws.

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has again launched its award program celebrating .CA websites that benefit the lives of Canadians.

Launched January 9, 2012, the .CA Impact Awards recognizes ".CA websites that make a difference" across four categories:

1.    Public Sector and Not-for-Profit - Acknowledging a government, NGO, or association whose website or application is making a difference in the lives of members, donors, and/or the public.

2.    eLearning - Recognizing youth and educators who use their .CA website to share knowledge and promote education.

3.    Small Business - Celebrating a company, with fewer than 100 employees, whose website or application has helped a business contribute to its community, foster sales or create jobs.

4.    Applications (including gaming and mobile) - Honouring a company whose mobile website, application, or game has made a impact.

 

What can I win?

1.    Visibility through the CIRA website and other CIRA communications. CIRA also announces your success to the news media and provide you with a coveted .CA Impact Awards badge which you will be allowed to post and display on your website.

2.    $5,000

3.    An expenses paid trip to the mesh conference in May 2012

 

Key Competition Details 

Deadline to Enter - March 23, 2012
 
Who Can Enter - The .CA Impact Awards program is open only to individuals and organizations that currently have a valid .CA domain name registered to them and who have reached the age of majority in their province of residence. [read the complete rules]

Click here for the judging criteria and to enter the competition.

 

Every day at Webnames.ca we interact with customers that meet the above criteria in spades with their websites, businesses and charitable endeavors. That's why we're excited to help raise awareness about the .CA Impact Awards. We would love to see one or more of our many deserving customers be recognized, so we're encouraging you apply!

Help us spread the word! If you don't meet the .CA Impact Award criteria outlined above, please pass it along to a friend, colleague or someone in your network who does. Let's celebrate Canadians that make a difference!

 

Today, January 12, 2012 marks the day ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) starts accepting applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

This process has been heavily debated amongst the internet community at large as well as within the ICANN board but was approved by ICANN in 2011 at its meeting in Singapore.

The process is expected to dramatically expand the Internet with the current 22 approved gTLDs (such as .com, .org or recent .xxx) to hundreds or thousands of extensions which include all types of words in multiple languages including non-Latin languages.

ICANN is directing all interested parties to refer to the New gTLD section of ICANN's website for authoritative documents, resources, and latest developments. The New gTLD site is found at http://newgtlds.icann.org. The ICANN New gTLD page includes links to the TLD Application System (TAS) to submit applications and the updated version of the Applicant Guidebook which details the process and criteria for applying for a new gTLD. The updated version incorporates clarification on topics such as batching, background screening, the applicant support program, Continued Operations Instrument, GAC advice processes, and the registry code of conduct.

There is also information available for financial assistance for some applicants who qualify. Essentially applicants from developing economies have access to financial assistance in the form of an evaluation fee reduction and other in-kind or community pro bono services. The financial assistance part of the program will allow a limited number of applicants to pay a reduced evaluation fee of US $47,000 rather than the US $185,000 amount. More information about the New gTLD Applicant Support Program is available at: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support.


Key timelines:
March 29, 2012 - The last day to register in TAS
April 12, 2012 -  Final day ICANN accepts applications


For some background as to what the new gTLD expansion is about, please read our previous blog post on this topic: http://blog.webnames.ca/2011/06/shop-paris-the-domain-name-spa-1.html.

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for January 18th, 2012 has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

To receive this list by email, simply log in to your account at Webnames.ca go to 'account settings' then click on the 'email subscriptions' tab and check the box for Marketing and Promotions emails, or you can contact us at tbr@webnames.ca . These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012.


acids.ca
athleticsalberta.ca
attending.ca
badmusic.ca
banffdaycare.ca
barsuppliestoronto.ca
blackdeal.ca
blackdeals.ca
brandesigner.ca
buycoupons.ca
cajunspice.ca
calculatemortgages.ca
canadageeks.ca
canadianbeauties.ca
chatsite.ca
chronicillness.ca
coolparty.ca
couponcoupon.ca
deluxepizza.ca
digitalnetwork.ca
discountpizza.ca
downloadbooks.ca
energyindustry.ca
finestfood.ca
freshpizza.ca
goodpizza.ca
grappling.ca
heritagevancouver.ca
holidayoffer.ca
hotelcanada.ca
hws.ca
jumpforheart.ca
kraze.ca
mang.ca
montrealtoprestaurants.ca
moreforyou.ca
musings.ca
nextvacation.ca
niceandtasty.ca
nooffense.ca
nutritionforlife.ca
nutritiousfoods.ca
outed.ca
populardiets.ca
premiumpizza.ca
rsf.ca
sexyapparel.ca
sexybody.ca
sexyguys.ca
speedskaters.ca
valuepizza.ca
vancouverwebsites.ca
viper.ca
witless.ca
whatmusic.ca
witless.ca

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s)

Or,

1. Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for January 11th, 2012 has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

To receive this list by email simply contact us at tbr@webnames.ca These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012.

 

asianclothes.ca
associatenetwork.ca
airportconnections.ca
atnight.ca
attainment.ca
autoratings.ca
bebeauty.ca
besmokefree.ca
bookreaders.ca
byby.ca
cheapshoe.ca
citypub.ca
clicknames.ca
couponsbook.ca
dancesalsa.ca
exhilarated.ca
gayfathers.ca
haro.ca
hawked.ca
hobic.ca
manifested.ca
mobileflyer.ca
mugshots.ca
newmontrealcondo.ca
newottawacondo.ca
newvancouvercondo.ca
nicehouses.ca
noplan.ca
partyplaces.ca
petfriendlyhousing.ca
playitcool.ca
purepassion.ca
queenie.ca
redcollar.ca
rendition.ca
soapbox.ca
spooks.ca
thorough.ca
torontomediation.ca
torontomediator.ca
truepartners.ca
uneven.ca
vancitycondos.ca
workoptions.ca

 

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s)

Or,

1. Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

 

Here is a look at some domain name items from 2011:

• VeriSign reported that at the end of the third quarter of 2011, there were nearly 220 million domain names worldwide, an annual increase of 8.9%.
• In August, it was announced that ICANN President and CEO Rod Beckstrom will complete his term on July 1, 2012. The search for his successor is under way.
• In June, the ICANN Board approved the New gTLD Program. Applications are scheduled to be accepted starting on January 12, 2012. There have been several calls to stop or modify the program, but ICANN Chair Steve Crocker has recently indicated that the program will not be delayed or restricted.
• The deployment of DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) has continued, notably for the .COM domain.
• The new .XXX domain received final approval from the ICANN Board in March, a contract was signed in April, and after initial sunrise and landrush periods, general availability took place in December.
• In February, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) hosted the first annual Canadian Internet Forum (CIF).

Timeline

• Thu, Jan 12 - Thu, Apr 12: applications for new gTLDs being accepted
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for January 4th, 2012 has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

To receive this list by email simply contact us at tbr@webnames.ca These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012.

actionman.ca
affaireinternet.ca
amazinglight.ca
artwall.ca
boilingfrog.ca
canadianpuppy.ca
chocolatefit.ca
dispute.ca
dogbite.ca
exerciseplan.ca
fiftyyears.ca
firstgold.ca
fleurbleue.ca
forhope.ca
funnystories.ca
getbest.ca
goplus.ca
hsg.ca
kpl.ca
letsbuild.ca
livebusiness.ca
loveculture.ca
operative.ca
perfectlyproper.ca
quicklearner.ca
rawbooks.ca
schooladvocate.ca
sightseeingtour.ca
softly.ca
sparrows.ca
steadystick.ca
stockyard.ca
tripledare.ca
uncivilized.ca
universitypizza.ca
youngdesigners.ca
zombo.ca

 

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s)

Or,

1. Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

The way we are consuming copyrighted material is changing. We are not buying CD's, DVD's, or books as much as we used to and Peer to Peer (P2P) networks have made it very easy to distribute and share media.  Some of this media is in the public domain (such as old movies and books where the copyright has expired), and lots of it is available under licenses that encourage us to share and even change it without infringement (open source software and lots of the content on YouTube is copied this way).   Recently released movies and music are typically not in the public domain but they are also being copied and when this happens it violates the creator's rights and is illegal. 

There is nothing wrong with trying to protect the rights of those that make creative content but the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act SOPA has the potential to do much more harm than good.   SOPA is a reactionary response to online piracy that would allow any domain under a registry located in the US (all gTLD's) to be blocked if it was accused of hosting content or ads that infringed copyright.  It would apply to all .com domains, regardless of the location of the registrant, because the .com registry (Verisign) is in the US. 

Webnames.ca does not endorse copyright infringement. What we do support is constructive engagement, such as this recent suggestion from Vint Cerf on the internet-history mailing list: http://mailman.postel.org/pipermail/internet-history/2011-December/002044.html. We also believe that models for media distribution that use the internet and protect copyright (such as iTunes and the Amazon Kindle) will continue to grow and will work without government intervention.

What are your feelings on the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act? Feel free to leave your comments.  

A message from our President:

As another successful year draws to a close,  on behalf of everyone at Webnames.ca I'd like to thank all of you for your business, for being a part of our growth and helping us give back to the community we serve.

We've accomplished a lot in the past year with numerous product launches, systems and infrastructure upgrades and improvements, a number of awards and accolades and very importantly, a vast list of community initiatives we supported and sponsored.

Wishing all of you and your families a wonderful and safe holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

Here are some of these highlights at Webnames.ca in 2011.   

-Cybele Negris, Webnames.ca President

New Products and Services

New Hosting Plans
In March we saw the launch of our all new Hosting plans. Not only did our hosting get significantly better and more feature rich but so did our pricing. [Learn More]

FastTrack Web Design
In May, we launched our $499 WordPress web design program called FastTrack. This was a great addition to our Power for Small Business branch of services (which also includes our Essentials program). FastTrack has become a great resource for small businesses looking to get launched online professionally and affordably. [Learn More]

Domain Brokering
Domain Brokering was a popular new service that Webnames added this year. If there is a domain name you want but it's already taken Webnames.ca can help. Having the perfect domain name can make all the difference and our brokering agents will handle all the work at an affordable price. [Learn More]

Webnames is the first Canadian Registrar to help companies protect their Trademark in the new .XXX Top Level Domain
The new .XXX domain extension, created for the adult industry, caused a lot of controversy in the online world. Webnames.ca was proud to be the first registrar in Canada helping Trademark owners and businesses block their names from becoming the next .XXX website. Webnames.ca supported the Sunrise B phase for Trademark owners and supports General Registration. .XXX domains registered at Webnames.ca will not resolve or support live content or email. [Learn More]

New SSL and EVSSL Certificates
In addition to Webnames GeoTrust SSL certificates, we also launched several new VeriSign certificates along with some EVSSL certificates for added security. Adding VeriSign was a logical next step for us as case studies show a 10-34% increase in online transactions where VeriSign seals are displayed. [Learn More]

New Retail Pricing
Getting even lower domain pricing was made easy this year at Webnames. By purchasing multiple domains, hosting or SSL you instantly qualify to receive our lowest available domain pricing. Qualifying is easy and we received tons of great feedback on this new program. [Learn More]

Video Marketing
Webnames partnered with BBN3 Video this summer to offer professional video services. Regardless of your location, Webnames.ca can get you set up with a great ad, testimonial or profile video. [Learn More]

Acknowledgments

• Webnames.ca Awarded as Best Web Hosting Provider by Web Hosting Search for our new and improved hosting that was launched in Spring 2011.
  
• Better Business Bureau Torch Awards Finalist for Marketplace Excellence. Webnames was honored to be recognized among so many other responsible and ethical companies.
  
• Webnames.ca President Cybele Negris Named to 13th Annual PROFIT W100 List. Cybele Negris and Webnames.ca are proud to be on the PROFIT W100 list for the 8th consecutive year!

Sponsorships

Webnames.ca was proud to support the following organizations in 2011!

• Small Business BC Successful You Awards
• BCIC New Ventures Competition
• YVR Twestival 
• Grape Juice
  
• BCNET Conference 2011
• Mom Inc. Trade Show
• Five Hole for Food
• Big Sisters Gala
• Freelance Camp
  
• Social Media Week
• We Heart Local BC Food & Drink Contest
• MESH Vancouver
• Vancouver Sun Kids Fund

Community Support

Our Management team actively sit on the boards of the following organizations:

• John Demco sits on the board of CIRA
• Cybele Negris is the Vice Chair of Small Business BC, was part of Small Business Roundtable, FWE Board of Directors and was part of the Advisory board for Social Media Week Vancouver.
  

Thank you to all our customers and supporters in 2011! This has been a wonderful 11th year for Webnames.ca and we could not have done it without your support. We will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do and continue to live by our core values, "Always Be Improving", "Amaze Every Customer with Exceptional Customer Service", & "Make a Positive Difference". Happy Holidays from all of us!

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for December 28th, 2011 has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

To receive this list by email simply contact us at tbr@webnames.ca These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, December 28th, 2011.

assortment.ca
avoiddisaster.ca
babygates.ca
bigfinancial.ca
bits.ca
bothways.ca
carecoupon.ca
costly.ca
dollarandcents.ca
ecowatch.ca
ecowearcanada.ca
freshcredit.ca
kidtokid.ca
kindcoupon.ca
legalfrog.ca
luxurydesign.ca
makeupclass.ca
meilleurordinateur.ca
modernpeople.ca
moistures.ca
nicetry.ca
plonk.ca
quitter.ca
quitters.ca
respecting.ca
restrictions.ca
rests.ca
saturdaymorning.ca
sexie.ca
sindicate.ca
stretcher.ca
torontostay.ca
twodegrees.ca
vancityphoto.ca
veglife.ca
vintagejewlery.ca
withjoy.ca
ygb.ca

 

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s)

Or,

   1. Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.