The Canadian Internet Registration Authority launches the .CA Impact Awards

The first ever program to recognize .CA initiatives that are making a positive impact in the lives of Canadians.

Ottawa, January 20, 2011 – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) introduced the .CA Impact Awards to celebrate Canadians using their .CA websites to make a difference in their community.

The .CA Impact Awards are designed to recognize youth, educators, not-for-profit organizations, small businesses, technology developers, and web designers for their innovation, the quality of their work, and the impact of their .CA websites and applications.

“The awards program will help us celebrate excellence and share best practices with .CA domain name holders from coast to coast,” says Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA. “We understand the Internet is more than technology – it is a significant force, a catalyst, and a powerful agent of social change. That’s why the .CA Impact Awards celebrates the impact of .CA websites and applications.”

CIRA is looking for people and organizations that use their .CA websites to make a positive difference in the lives of their users and those around them. Impact can be social, cultural, political, technological, or economic.

There are four broad categories for entries: E-Learning, Small Business, Not-for-Profit, and Web Technology. Entries for the 2010 awards will be received until March 25, 2011. Judging will take place in May2011 and will be announced at the Mesh Conference in Toronto on May 25, 2011.

Winners of the Impact Awards will receive $5,000 each and the added visibility which comes from winning a national award.

For more information about the CIRA .CA Impact Awards, eligibility, judges, prizing, or to submit an entry, visit us at www.impactawards.ca, write to us at sheila.bergeron@cira.ca or follow-us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube.

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About CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the member-driven organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally.

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Austin
Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing
613-237-5335 ext. 296
jennifer.austin@cira.ca
impactawards.ca