A unique birth, examples of perseverance and generosity and rare video footage of a shark made the list of NanaimoNewsNOW's top viral stories for 2021. (submitted Aplin/Brethour)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Going Viral

Top Stories of 2021: The most viewed & viral articles of the year

Dec 26, 2021 | 7:41 PM

NANAIMO — An unusual birth, a woman who broke down barriers and a family united with a long lost pet highlight the top viral stories of the past year.

The November traffic jam that delayed thousands of people in Nanoose Bay gave Kyle and Kelsey Aplin a story they will happily tell the rest of their lives.

On the morning of Nov. 19 Kelsey was experiencing contractions for several hours so the couple set out from Whiskey Creek to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

“We called the hospital at 10 a.m. and asked if we should come because of the traffic,” Kyle said. “We got just past Triple O’s and she couldn’t really bare it anymore so we called the ambulance.”

Paramedics arrived by noon through heavily backed up traffic and safely delivered Rylie Jane Aplin on the side of Highway 19 at 12:18 p.m.

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The Aplin’s expressed their gratitude to everyone including the people who helped on the side of the road and cleared a path for the ambulance to get to them.

Nanaimo’s Nancy Lamont ended a 48 year career with McDonald’s on New Year’s Eve of 2020.

At 15 she was hired as a crew member at the Terminal Park McDonald’s in 1972.

Back then very few females were employed by McDonald’s in Canada but Lamont had aspirations to one day land a management role.

“I was told ‘No you can’t be a manager as a female.’ I just continued to work and do my best. I changed goals in my life, I decided I would get married and have kids.”

After years of persistence, Lamont was promoted to store manager in 1989.

She said one of things she would miss the most heading into retirement is the interaction with regular customers.

“The same customers come in at the same time every day quite often and they look for you, talk to you to brighten up their day.”

The cat came back.

No-no the 15-year-old cat made it home after being missing for three and a half years.

“I was elated to hear the news but definitely shocked as well,” owner Laura Brethour said. “No-no had been gone for 1,258 days!”

No-no was brought into the Nanaimo SPCA by a staff member at the Living Forest Oceanside Campground.

He’d been living as a stray before eventually SPCA staff traced the cat’s tattoo.

Brethour’s six-year-old son was ecstatic to have his cat back, even though he was two when No-no disappeared.

“No-no was his little buddy. Now, he loves that No-no is back sleeping in his bed.”

Leon Davis with Nanaimo SPCA, said this was one of the longest times between a cat going missing and being found he’s ever seen.

Other stories which grabbed the attention of readers were the installation of the Nanaimo sign in Maffeo Sutton Park in April, the tale of the anonymous “cookie guy” who bought up around 17, 000 girl guide cookies from the Cedar troop and the encounter with a sixgill shark caught on video near Entrance Island.

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