The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) announced on Monday that it will no longer reserve dot-ca Internet domain names of Canadian municipalities.
The decision will affect municipalities that have been removed from the Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Geographical Names Database as of October 1, 2002.
“Across Canada, many municipalities no longer exist as a result of amalgamation or other reasons. As a general rule, CIRA makes domain names available to Canadians,” said Bernard Turcotte, CIRA’s president, in a statement.
Former municipal names listed in the Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Geographical Names Database prior to Oct.1 will be released for registration on a first-come-first-served basis on March 20, 2003 through any CIRA certified registrar.
As Natural Resources Canada updates its database several times a year, CIRA will release former municipal domain names three times a year.
The list of formerly reserved domain names can be reviewed online at www.cira.ca/en/internet-names.html.