P.E.I.’s first baby of 2021 not first New Year’s Day birth for family

P.E.I.’s first baby of 2021 was born at 2:22 p.m. at Prince County Hospital today, and it turns out she’s not the first New Year’s Day baby in her extended family. 

Scarlett Dawn Arsenault was delivered by C-section and weighed seven pounds, four ounces. 

“She’s doing great,” said Scarlett’s mom Ashley Shaw, who is from Mont-Carmel.

“We are all so excited,” said grandparent Billy Shaw in a Facebook message. 

Another New Year’s Day baby in the family

Billy said Scarlett is adding to the family history of being a New Year’s Day baby on P.E.I. 

Billy’s sister Bonnie Shaw, Scarlett’s great aunt, was the first baby born on P.E.I. back in 1976. 

The family still has the clipping from the Journal-Pioneer of Bonnie’s birth, with a photo of her and her mother, Scarlett’s great-grandmother Evelyn Shaw. 

‘Shocked’ to have first baby in 2021

Ashley Shaw said she didn’t expect Scarlett to be the province’s first baby of the year.

“I’m kind of surprised, shocked a little bit,” she said. 

Shaw said her baby’s middle name, Dawn, has a family connection. 

“Her middle name just comes from my sister Chelsey. Other than that, we just decided on Scarlett.”

Shaw and her partner, Rivard Arsenault, already have an older daughter, Savannah, who’ll be three at the end of January. 

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