It has taken 32 years since the first .ca domain was registered, and 20 years to the day since ICANN delegated the .ca domain registry to CIRA, but Tuesday the organisation announced there are now more than 3 million .ca domains under management.
Registrations have grown in 2020, up over a third (34%) over the same period in 2019, for Canada’s country code top-level domain (ccTLD), as they have in many ccTLDs, as Canadian society pivoted to digital amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. .CA domains have seen tremendous growth as the value of branding your website Canadian has never been higher. .CA is also the 12th largest ccTLD in the world.
“As the stewards of the .ca domain registry, it is our responsibility not only to provide a safe, stable digital platform but also to promote it to all Canadians,” said Byron Holland, president and CEO, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). “We are proud of the work we have done to grow the .ca domain registry to 3 million strong, and are honoured that so many Canadians are trusting their businesses, their brands and their future to .ca.”
The first .ca domain name was registered on 12 January 1998, by the University of Prince Edward Island, upei.ca. At the time, the .ca registry was administered by John Demco at the University of British Columbia.
Being a community-minded organisation, CIRA gives back more than C$1 million every year through their Community Investment Program to support Canada’s internet.
“This holiday season, it is more important than ever to support local business, and Canadians know at a glance that .ca means Canada,” said Paul Sarkozy, .CA business lead. “With 3 million domains registered, we’re proud to have earned the trust of hundreds of thousands of businesses who choose .ca to represent their brand online.”