Whitehorse residents marked the start of the new year in various ways, including a family who welcomed a baby girl at Whitehorse General Hospital. The newborn, named Theia Joyce Klassen, entered the world at 12:41 a.m. on January 1, making her the first baby born in 2026 not only in Whitehorse but across the entire territory. Weighing in at eight pounds and six ounces, Theia’s arrival brought double joy to her parents, Jamie-Lee and Brayden Klassen.
Theia’s due date was originally set for January 3, but Jamie-Lee had hoped for a January baby to potentially boost her future sports prowess. Reflecting on the timing of Theia’s birth, Jamie-Lee mentioned how she had urged her daughter to wait until January, a wish that was humorously acknowledged by Brayden. The couple shared their surprise at realizing they had the territory’s first baby of the year only after Theia’s birth, as they were the sole occupants in the hospital at that moment.
Hospital staff confirmed Theia’s status as the first baby born in the Yukon on New Year’s morning, a tale that the Klassen family intends to cherish and share for years to come. Jamie-Lee fondly recalled her thoughts while heading to the hospital, envisioning how Theia’s birth on New Year’s Eve would forever intertwine their celebrations and memories.
