HAGERSVILLE—Will Cohan Barker be Canada’s Baby of the Year? It’s a real possibility. What’s a certainty, though, is that he’s got Haldimand County’s support behind him.
Throughout July 2024, Cohan’s parents, Taylor and Nick Barker, kept an eye on the updates on the Baby Contest Canada website. With the online competition, parents enter their little ones and the public votes for the favourite baby that month.
“I was counting down the days,” said Taylor.
For winning that qualifying round, Cohan won $100 cash and a $100 gift card to a baby store; he was also entered into the final round with 11 other babies from across the country.
The new round of voting is already underway and will continue until midnight on March 31, 2025. The grand prize is $1,000 cash and a $1,000 contribution to their Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).
Barker said she started a Facebook group – Cohan’s Contest Crew – specifically for updates on the contest, and was shocked when over 300 people joined.
“I only thought there would be close friends and family,” she said, adding, “People have just been super interactive with it and people are excited, which is cool.”
Everyone can vote once every 24 hours per device, and Cohan’s supporters have been consistent.
“He’s been number one pretty much since (voting) opened,” Barker said, noting that because of the time differences across Canada, the placings of the babies – particularly the top four – do tend to fluctuate throughout the day.
In the six months since the last round of voting, Cohan has been growing a lot. He turned one on Boxing Day, December 26.
“He looks very different, but he still has those big, blue eyes,” Barker said.
“He’s crawling, pulling up on things, getting into his brother’s toys.… I’ve noticed that he’s loving the Hot Wheels cars that his brother is into.”
She added that he’s also a “super social” little guy who “lights up” whenever he sees friends and family.
Cohan also has a mischievous streak, Barker said.
“If he sees something that he’s not supposed to do, he kind of looks back, laughs, and then continues to do it,” she said with a laugh.
Having a sense of fun and enthusiasm is something Cohan seems to share with his community, Barker said, noting that people in Hagersville and beyond seem to be very eager to throw their support behind the hometown boy.
“We just want to say thank you to everybody for that,” she said.
To cast your vote for Cohan, go to: bit.ly/VoteCohan.
