Deadline For .CA Re-registration Extended
CIRA Announces Extension Of Operational Transfer Date Of .CA Registry

Ottawa, October 31, 2000 – CIRA today announced that together with the University of British Columbia an agreement has been made to defer the operational transfer of the .ca Registry until December 1, 2000. The agreement will allow existing .ca domain name holders more time to re-register their domain names with CIRA.   

"CIRA is concerned that, despite the well-publicized upcoming transfer, as of October 30, 2000, 37,000 out of approximately 98,000 expected re-registrants of existing (.ca) domain names in the UBC Registry had not applied to re-register," said Maureen Cubberley, Chair, CIRA Board. "It is CIRA's intention to make the transition occur as smoothly as possible, and this extension of the date will help that to happen."

This one-month extension will give current (.ca) registrants who have not already done so additional time to re-register their domain names. Failure to re-register will result in a website or e-mail address being inaccessible through that domain name after November 30, 2000. CIRA urges all (.ca) registrants to avoid this outcome by selecting a CIRA certified registrar (list available in registrant section) and proceeding with the re-registration before December 1, 2000.

Existing .ca domain names will be reserved until January 31, 2001, at which time, all current .ca domain names that have not been re-registered with CIRA will become available for registration by another applicant.

The extension also makes provisions for the registration of new (.ca) domain names.

As previously announced, CIRA certified registrars will begin accepting new (.ca) registrations on November 8, 2000. However, the registrations will be made in the UBC Registry until November 30, 2000. On December 1, 2000, they will be automatically transferred to and become operational in CIRA's Registry. This does not involve a change in the timing of registrations for new (.ca) domains; the currently queued requests for registration of new (.ca) names will be processed beginning November 8, 2000, as planned.

"We are well aware that a great number of Canadians are anxiously awaiting the opening of the new (.ca) Registry under the new rules for registration," said Glen Bloom, Vice-Chair, CIRA Board. "The new CIRA rules provide an opportunity for .ca to become the Canadian domain for e-commerce, and many people want to seize that opportunity sooner rather than later."

CIRA has set up a toll-free number to respond to inquiries from the public on domain name registration. The toll-free number is 1-877-860-1411.