New Year’s babies delivered at midnight

The first Canadian babies to be born in 2018 didn’t wait long before making an appearance, as two Toronto hospitals reported delivering newborns right at the stroke of midnight.

Both St. Michael’s Hospital and Humber River Hospital announced early Monday that they had welcomed new babies at exactly 12 a.m. on Jan. 1.

St. Michael’s spokesman James Wysotski says new mom Hlengiwe Khoza delivered a seven-pound, 11-ounce baby girl as fireworks were going off in nearby Nathan Phillips Square.

“At the stroke of midnight, (they) look down, toes just came out, with fireworks going off outside the window,” he said in a phone interview.

He says the baby, who has been named Shiloh, is doing well.

In a tweet, Humber River Hospital said a baby named Phillip was born at midnight, closely followed by his twin sister Victoria, who arrived seven seconds later.

The hospital posted a photo of the twins lying in side-by-side bassinets with the caption, “It doesn’t get better than this.”

In Montreal, Miriam Oviedo described the birth of baby Maxine two seconds after midnight as “the best birthday present.”

In Calgary, Amy and Tyler Muir delivered a baby boy 12 seconds after midnight, Alberta Health Services said in a news release.

The B.C. government announced that the province’s first baby, a girl, was delivered in Surrey, B.C. nine seconds into the New Year. All the newest Canadians and their mothers are said to be doing well.