Toronto-area hospitals welcome 5 leap day babies

Two Toronto-area hospitals welcomed five leap day babies on Thursday, Feb. 29.

Trillium Health Partners, which operates Credit Valley Hospital where the babies were delivered, shared images of the bundles of joy who were born on the rare date.

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“Feb. 29, also known as Leap Day, only comes around once every four years, which makes for a very unique birthdate,” the hospital network, which also runs Mississauga Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre, said in a post on social media.

A leap year typically occurs quadrennially because of the 365.24 days it takes the earth to orbit the sun. An extra day is added in February to account for the built up time over those four years and to keep the calendar in sync.

Meanwhile, at the Distillery District in downtown Toronto, there was a party for adults celebrating their Feb. 29 birthday – with free drinks and food for those with ID to prove it.

Arne, who is around 76 years old, celebrated the 19th anniversary of his birth date on Thursday.

“This is my 19th birth day. Not my 19th birthday. My 19th birth day. So, I’m now legal drinking age,” he said with a smile.

Arne is one of 25,000 Canadians born on Feb. 29, according to the 2019 census.

“You know why there is a Feb. 29? Because it takes an entire year to explain what a leap year is,” he laughed.

Arne, a Toronto man who is celebrating the 19th anniversary of his birth date on Feb. 29, 2024, is seen here.