The luckiest babies in the world

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In honour of the New Year, our latest issue tracks down Canada’s first children of 2015. Check out our  full profile of Richelle Shiner, Canada’s first New Year’s baby, find out why these children are the luckiest in the world,  and read on for more stories of Canada’s first infants of the new year.

Starting early on New Year’s Day, Maclean’s set out to track down the first babies born in every province and territory. We harangued hospitals, scoured local newspapers and kept watch over social media to compile what we believe is the definitive collection of the first babies of 2015.

Canada’s first baby, weighing in at 4 lb. and 8 oz., was Richelle Shiner. She was born in Springdale, N.L., at 12:39 a.m. “Richelle came into the world full-force,” said her mother, Sandra Shiner. “I hope she does that for the rest of her life, that she never holds back.” Read Jonathon Gatehouse’s full profile of Richelle Shiner.

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  Halifax
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  Fredericton
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  Albany, P.E.I.
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  Mississauga, Ont.
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  Kimmirut, Nunavut
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  Terrebonne, Que.
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  Saskatoon, Sask.
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  Pukatawagan First Nation, Man.
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  Edmonton
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  Yellowknife
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  Langley, B.C.
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  Teslin, Yukon

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• Caroline Sandra MacLaughlin
  9 lb. 1 oz. | Halifax, N.S.

  “Well, we haven’t thought very much yet about what we’d like for her future, but the important thing is that she’s healthy, happy, and full of passion. She has two siblings and we are looking forward to all three of them becoming fast friends that support each other. We’re just glad she’s here.”
  —Craig and Jennifer MacLaughlin

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• Colton Joseph Sivret
  7 lb. 1 oz. | Fredericton

  “All I was hoping for was a healthy baby, and so far he is. I want him to have a great time playing with his big sister, Autumn Rain. I hope he has a good life, grows up healthy, and makes good choices. I can’t wait to enjoy every second of his company.”
  —Erica Peterson and Denis Sivret

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• Oliver Dean Stride
  8 lb. 6 oz. | Albany, P.E.I.

  “We hope he will become a hardworking and honest man. I think he will have a very good relationship with his three siblings, full of nothing but kindness and friendship.”
  —Jamie Stride and Lacey Smith

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• Grayson Jay Leslie
  7 lb. 14 oz. | Mississauga, Ont.

  “First of all, we believe it’s very important to have a good education. We love musical instruments, we love baseball, and we can’t wait to hear Grayson play music and to watch his first MLB game, but ultimately it’s up to him to choose whatever he likes and wants to do. As long as he is happy, we are fine. We believe there is a good reason God brought him into this world at the time he chooses and we sincerely hope he can make a difference in making this world a better place.”
  —Paul Leslie and Stacey Guyher

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• Mosesie Mark Parr
  9 lb. 8 oz. | Kimmirut, Nunavut

  “I hope he will finish high school and go to college. I hope he’ll be a nice New Year’s boy, a very kind and outgoing person. I go hunting a lot for the family and I will certainly teach him how to hunt and how to survive on the land. I look forward to the day he becomes a great hunter. We are ready to raise him and look forward to him and our daughter becoming very close.”
  —Jawlie Mingeriak and Tirak Parr

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• Elsa Naccarello
  6 lb. 9 oz. | Terrebonne, Que.

  “We hope everything goes well in her life and that she appreciates the importance of a good education and most of all that she will follow her dreams and make a good life for herself.”
  —Giovanni Naccarello and Rahela Akter

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• Hailey Faith Rowlands
  7 lb. 10 oz. | Saskatoon, Sask.

  “Our biggest hope is that she will have a good education so that she can have a good life. I look forward to having a good open and truthful bond with her, as she grows older. She has an older sister, and hopefully they will be able to talk about anything and everything. I hope Hailey will follow her passions and go with her dreams and goals.”
  —Jeremy and Crystal Rowlands

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• Leon Mason Grieves
  7 lb. 14 oz. | Pukatawagan First Nation, Man.

  “I hope he becomes open and kind, just like my mother. She made everyone around her feel safe and special. I hope he does the same.”
  —Jared Linklater and Owna Sweetgrass Grieves

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• Echo Freyja Grey Adams
  6 lb. 15 oz. | Edmonton

  “We wish for health and happiness and that she will achieve everything she strives for. Echo has a 10-year-old brother and we look forward to having him help guide her to be a good person and help us shape her into a great person who constantly seeks to improve herself. We are really close with our son and I hope that we will have that same type of relationship with Echo. We are a bit nervous, since she’s a girl, and Kayla and her mom butted heads quite a bit when she was a teenager, and it took them awhile to find their footing. So we know the importance of communication. If we keep the relationship open, we can have the best of all worlds.’”
  —Jared Adams and Kayla McEvoy

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• Kaddoch Langdon Stewart
  8 lb. 12 oz. | Yellowknife

  “We’re just happy that he’s healthy and that he has finally arrived. We love him and we want him to be whatever he wants.”
  —Neil Stewart and Brita Suchlandt

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• Lincoln Randell Lahn
  7 lb. 14 oz. | Langley, B.C.

  “We hope he grows into a caring and loving person. We look forward to having an open relationship with him, built on honesty and friendship, like we have with our other son. I hope he knows that he will be able to talk to me about anything. And as long as both my children are happy, I will be happy.”
  —Shane Lahn and Darlene Henley

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• Wyatt Bradley Hassard
  10 lb. 0 oz. | Teslin, Yukon

  “I want him to be smarter than me and go to school. When he’s older I just want him to be happy, and I want to have the same relationship with him as I have with my old man—he has a great sense of humour.”
  —Robert Hassard and Ashley Anderson