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As British Columbians rang in the new year, a family at Kelowna General Hospital welcomed B.C.’s first baby of 2026.
Born at 12:18 a.m. PT, the newborn weighed six pounds, eight ounces, according to the province.
This is the second year in a row that B.C.’s first baby was born in the Interior Health region after 2025’s first baby was delivered at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.
In an email Thursday morning, Interior Health said the family of the 2026 new year’s baby would not be sharing any more details.
In the Vancouver Coastal Health region, the first baby of the year was born at the Richmond Birth Centre at 1:30 a.m. PT to parents Haruna and Jian Suzuki.
“We feel so lucky,” Haruna told CBC News.
Jian and Haruna Suzuki welcomed their baby boy in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2026, the first baby of the year born in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. (Richmond Birth Centre/Vancouver Coastal Health)
Haruna said Thursday afternoon that she and baby boy are “doing great” after some rest.
She said she and Jian are still working on a name.
Fraser Health’s first baby of 2026 was born at 12:53 a.m. PT at Ridge Meadows Hospital, the health authority says.
The first baby of the year born in northern B.C. arrived at 2:25 a.m. PT at Ksyen Regional Hospital in Terrace.
Baby Molina, born to parents Chantel Johnson and Robert Good, was born in Terrace, B.C., on Jan. 1, 2026 at 2:25 a.m. PT. (Submitted by Northern Health)
In a text message to CBC News, mother Chantel Johnson said both she and baby Molina — named after father Robert Good’s late sister — are doing well.
“I am so very tired, but so happy and relieved Molina is here,” Johnson said.
Island Health says the first baby born on Vancouver Island in 2026 was baby boy Sahit Prata, who arrived at Victoria General Hospital at 3:48 a.m.