First Kamloops baby of 2025 welcomed by first Kamloops baby of 1960

The Hills received an unexpected visitor on Wednesday, a woman they did not know who made the long trip from her home in Beechy, Sask.

Cynthia Blakley-Allan was the first baby born in Kamloops in 1960 — at 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 1.

“I was the New Year’s baby and Flyin’ Phil Gaglardi dedicated me to the City of Kamloops,” Blakley-Allan said. “They were friends of my dad and I grew up calling Phil and Jennie aunt and uncle because I didn’t know any better.”

Emerson was delivered in the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower, which was completed in 2022.

“I decided I would like to pass on my New Year’s baby title to the next New Year’s baby when I was 65 and I turned 65 yesterday, so that’s why I took a gift into the baby,” Blakley-Allan said.

“I was very lucky to be alive to do this. On Thanksgiving Day, I had a blood clot go to the brain and I just about died. I had three doctors ask me what I wanted them to do with my body and I’m going, ‘I’m not dead yet.’”

Jordan Hill, Emerson’s mom, was stunned and thrilled by the visit.

“That was really special,” said Jordan, a Grade 5 teacher at Summit elementary. “You could tell it meant a lot to her and it was really honestly super generous and we did not expect that and it brought tears to our eyes.”

Blakley-Allan said she was the first baby born in B.C. in 1960.

Emerson – who was due on Jan. 3 — defied 26-to-1 odds set by the B.C. Lottery Corporation that the province’s first birth of 2025 would take place at RIH.

“We actually talked about it in the delivery room, all the nurses and the doctor, we were just like, ‘Oh, what time is it?’” Jordan said. “We looked and it was kind of funny and we’re like, ‘He really could be the first baby born on New Year’s day.’

“We all wished each other happy new year at 12 o’clock and he was born two minutes later. It was pretty special.”

Jennifer Thur, a labour and delivery nurse at RIH, has fondness for New Year’s babies.

Her son, Brennen, was the first baby born at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake in 2001 – at 5:12 a.m. on Jan. 2.

Thur moved to Kamloops in 2014 and has been anxious for the city to reclaim first-baby-born-in-B.C. bragging rights.

“Every year, we hope, because it’s a big deal in the labour and delivery world, and I’ve never been in Kamloops when it’s happening,” Thur said. “Some of our staff said earlier they all wanted to go buy tickets at the lotto because they just felt this was our year.”

Thur helps to organize gifts each year for the family of the Kamloops New Year’s baby and she nudged the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce to pitch in this year.

The package was another welcome addition to the Hills.

“It’s been a really special few days,” Jordan said.

Added Elijah: “You can prepare all you want and get all the things you need, but until he’s here and in your arms … wow, there is a human being here and it’s very special and you can’t explain or describe parenthood.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Elijah Hill was wearing a Seattle Mariners’ baseball hat while being interviewed by CFJC Today.

Emerson’s name is spawned from his love of the Major League Baseball club.

Elijah and Jordan were watching a game and realized they both like the name Emerson while watching Mariners’ pitcher Emerson Hancock in action.

by Marty Hastings

First Kamloops baby of 2025 welcomed by first Kamloops baby of 1960

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