In a new 鈥渘ovelty鈥� wager, British Columbians can place a bet on where they think the first baby of 2019 will be born.

Twenty-four hospitals across the province are listed as betting options on the , including Surrey Memorial 鈥� .

Out of the gate Thursday (Dec. 20), B.C. Women鈥檚 Hospital in Vancouver was favoured, with odds of 5/1, followed by SMH at 6/1.

鈥淭hat means there is a 17 and 14 per cent chance, respectively, that 2019鈥檚 first bundle of joy is born at one of these two Lower Mainland locations,鈥� according to a BCLC release.

鈥淓ast Kootenay Regional Hospital (Cranbrook), St. Joseph鈥檚 General Hospital (Comox), Penticton Regional Hospital and Cowichan District Hospital have the worst odds of 51/1, meaning there is a less than two per cent chance that the New Year鈥檚 Baby will be born at one of those locations.鈥�

In the Lower Mainland, other hospitals on the list include Peace Arch (given 36/1 odds), Langley Memorial (21/1), Abbotsford (10/1), Chilliwack (41/1), Ridge Meadows (41/1), Burnaby (21/1) and Lions Gate (21/1).

to see the full list.

鈥� RELATED: .

At 6/1 odds, a $10 bet would fetch $60 in winnings.

Bets on the can be placed until 9 a.m. on Dec. 29.

At Surrey Memorial last Jan. 1, the first baby born in B.C. was welcomed to the world just nine seconds after midnight.

While most the province was ringing in the New Year, Manpreet Kaur Nijjar and Hardip Singh Shergill were saying hello to their first child at the hospital 鈥� and it wasn鈥檛 expected.

The Newton couple鈥檚 daughter was due to be born on Dec. 24, but a week of waiting brought on a decision for a c-section. 鈥淚 was scared or nervous from the natural (birth), not the c-section,鈥� Nijjar said at the time.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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