A New Year’s Milestone: Northern B.C.’s First Baby of 2026
TERRACE, BC — While the province of British Columbia celebrated its first newborn in Kelowna shortly after midnight, the Northwest has its own reason to cheer. Terrace is officially home to the first baby born in the Northern Health region for 2026.
Northern Health’s First Arrival – Baby Molina
At 2:25 a.m. on January 1, 2026, baby Molina was welcomed into the world at Ksyen Regional Hospital in Terrace. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces, Molina is the newest addition to the family of Chantel and Robert.
She is joined by her four siblings—Robert, Maybelline, Alanna, and Alexander—who now have a little sister to start the new year. Molina’s arrival marks the first birth of the year for the entire Northern Health region.
Regional and Provincial Context
- Second in the North: The second baby of 2026 in Northern B.C., named Ezren, was born at 5:47 a.m. at G.R. Baker Hospital in Quesnel. Parents Kendra and Reighven welcomed their son, who weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces.
- B.C.’s First Baby: The provincial first for 2026 occurred at Kelowna General Hospital. Born at 12:18 a.m., the infant weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces. The family has chosen to remain private, declining interviews at this time.
- 2026 Projections: The B.C. Health Ministry expects approximately 40,000 babies to be born across the province this year.
- 2025 Retrospective: According to provincial data, 41,693 babies were registered as born in B.C. between January 1 and December 17, 2025.
The birth of the New Year’s baby is a long-standing tradition in the province. As the Health Ministry noted in a recent advisory, these first arrivals symbolize the start of a new chapter for the province and its families.
