In the early, blustery hours of New Year's Day 2026, a Calgary taxi ride turned into an impromptu delivery room. Cab driver Hardeep Singh Toor found himself navigating treacherous, slick roads while his passenger labored to bring a new life into the world in the backseat of his vehicle.
A Race Against Time and Weather
With his fare in active labor—kicking the back of his seat and crying out—Hardeep Singh Toor had one fervent wish: for a clear path of green lights. The journey was complicated by severe winter conditions plaguing much of the country, part of a system that had triggered weather advisories across twelve provinces and territories. His focus was singular: get to the hospital, fast.
The tense and extraordinary trip culminated not at the hospital's emergency entrance, but within the cab itself. The baby decided to arrive before the vehicle could reach its destination, turning the taxi into the scene of a miraculous and frantic birth.
The Unforgettable Fare
For Toor, what began as a standard pickup transformed into an experience he will never forget. The phrase "two people in and three people out" perfectly encapsulates the shift that occurred during that fateful ride. He started his shift with two passengers, but by the time the emergency was over, he had helped usher a third, tiny person into the world.
Details of the mother's identity and the baby's sex were not immediately released, but the health of both was reported as the primary concern following the unexpected delivery. The event highlights the unpredictable nature of emergency situations and the critical role first responders—including calm-headed citizens like Toor—can play.
A New Year's Story for the Ages
This dramatic birth story adds a unique, local chapter to Canada's New Year's baby narratives for 2026. While the first official New Year's baby in British Columbia was welcomed in Kelowna, and Quebec celebrated its first births of the year, Calgary's cab-born baby boasts a truly unforgettable origin story.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by extreme winter weather and its impact on critical moments. It also stands as a testament to the composure and dedication of everyday people, like a taxi driver who kept his cool to help a family in their most urgent moment of need.
