The global race last year to make millennium babies has had little impact on the numbers of tiny Whistlerites born into the year 2000.
The carrot of a one-year maternity leave period for the first time this year hasn’t resulted in increased numbers either.
In fact, Whistler’s birth-rate for this millennium year looks like it will be the lowest in five years.
As of the end of November, records at the Coast Garibaldi Health Unit show 81 infants were born to Whistlerites in the year 2000.
The health unit expects up to another nine or 10 little Whistler babies may enter the world before Dec. 31. That would bring the number of babies born this year to about 90 – down from 104 last year.
In 1998, the Whistler birth rate peaked at 106. A total of 96 babies were born in 1997, 95 in 1996, 84 in 1995 and 78 in 1994. The rate has generally been climbing since 30 Whistler infants were recorded coming into the world in 1983.
