COLD LAKE - As residents celebrated the arrival of the new year, Cold Lake was graced with the arrival of the first baby born at the Cold Lake hospital on Tuesday evening.
Riley Kelland and Kenzie Noble proudly introduced their son, Weston Kelland, to the world on Jan. 2, 2024, at 11:37 p.m., within the walls of the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre.
Weston made his entrance into the world at a healthy nine and a half pounds,
Noble, who was born and raised in Cold Lake, eagerly anticipated the arrival of her first child. Reflecting on her journey to motherhood, she shared, “Being it was my first, I was kind of nervous, but it was definitely an exciting road, [and] exciting journey.”
Noble expressed the happiness she felt when she laid eyes on her first born child.
“I was ecstatic. He's beautiful. He looks just like his dad.”
Noble had nearly predicted her son’s birthday accurately, missing it by just one day.
“I actually predicted Jan. 3, so I was just one day off.”
As the Cold Lake Health Care Centre embraced the arrival of the newborn baby, they extended their heartfelt congratulations to the proud parents. Noble mentioned the hospital's enthusiastic response, highlighting how they considered it a significant moment and generously presented them with thoughtful gifts.
“It's a big deal here, I guess. They gave us some cute little gifts and stuff like that.”
Noble explained that the gifts are meant to be a keepsake for their new year's baby.
“They were heavy turtles. And they open up, and it’s like a little keepsake, so you can put their first haircut and then their first tooth in it.”
Local healthcare is crucial
City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to the family, emphasizing the significance of this milestone. "On behalf of the City of Cold Lake we want to congratulate the family with the first newborn at our hospital and wish everyone well.”
Acknowledging the critical role of medical personnel in childbirth, Copeland highlighted, “Having the doctors, nurses, and support staff to deliver babies at our hospital is critical for our community's quality of life.”
Recognizing the challenges faced by local healthcare in the past, Copeland commends the hospital staff’s unwavering commitment to serving the community. “Sending a mom to another community to deliver her baby is something that has happened in the past, but the hospital is trying hard to prevent that from occurring.”
