Executive director of the Multicultural Heritage Society of Prince George thought it would be a nice way to commemorate Canada's 150 by honouring the first girl and boy born on July 1 in Prince George with a gift.
Marlies Greulich asked the society's partner bank that supports the Canada Day celebration in the park to come up with a fund for two babies and was granted $150 education fund for each baby from CIBC.
"The idea just popped into my mind - we do it for new year's, why not do it for Canada's 150th anniversary," Greulich said.
"If you can start something even with $150 in a savings account or some kind of investment it will add up by the time the children turn 18, right? We're just happy we have two healthy babies."
It's all about giving back for the downtown branch of CIBC.
"CIBC is trying to be out in the community a lot more and honestly, we can have our banners out there but at the end of the day it's about giving back locally," Clint Moase, general manager, retail distribution for Central BC for CIBC.
"It's an opportunity to meet with local families and watch their families grow, so I thought this was a really neat idea and something a little bit different."
The lucky recipients are parents of a baby girl, Lisa Shapansky and Andrew Wiebe, who live in McBride and had their baby at UHNBC, and local new parents of a baby boy, Erin and Paulo Branco.
"I was completely surprised," new mom Erin said about the $150 fund from CIBC for her son Oliver.
"It was really generous and something really unexpected and that was really nice. We're really grateful for the gift and we're excited to raise our little baby boy and have fireworks every year to celebrate his birthday."
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