# If you live in Ontario - Grandparents' Rights



## Irishmommy

http://parentcentral.ca/parent/article/418184

It does say that Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon all have similar laws that help grandparents, which I didn't know.

I don't want that protection here. How do I word a letter to my MPP?


----------



## Blu Razzberri

Quote:

...When he heard the horror stories of grandparents blocked from seeing their grandchildren, it touched a nerve, Craitor said...








:





















Sometimes there's a REASON!! Why do courts insist on taking away a parents right to protect their children!? I can think of at least a dozen cases of people I know for whom this would be a nightmare!

I need more time with this; I've subbed to this thread and I'll be back. Thanks for posting this in TAO; I never would have seen it otherwise!


----------



## Blu Razzberri

Oh yes, by the way...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Irishmommy* 
...Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon all have similar laws that help grandparents, which I didn't know...

Grandparents have the least amount of pull in Ontario court than in any other province. They'd have to have a pretty strong case to be granted court access; but if they're fighting for access through the courts; it really makes you wonder. Grandparents ARE a great enrichment to children's lives as a rule; but that's not always the case. It shouldn't be up to the parents to prove that the grandparents are bad for the children if they are!!


----------



## purslaine

I also need time to think....

I will revisit after some ponderrring, but I do think it is fair to say I would prefer it that courts do not become involved in such issues.

We do not see my DH father very often (his choice and inaction as much as ours however) and I would be _livid_ if he went cuckoo on me and dragged my butt into court.

Kathy


----------



## Joyster

I think it can be a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, there are many grandparents who don't deserve to be anywhere near their grandchildren, like my father for example. Fortunately he doesn't live in Ontario or Canada.

On the other hand, there are many cases where the parents are unfit, CAS takes over, the grandparents who are fit try to get custody or at least access and are shot down, which is amazing to me because CAS is so overloaded, you'd think they'd be chomping at the bit to have a loving relative step in.

It's a pretty thorny issue with positives and negatives.


----------



## SophieAnn

Does anyone know the Bill number so we can read it? I skimmed the article linked in the OP but didn't see a Bill #.

Thanks!

Edited to Add: Found it! In this CTV News article it says it's Bill 33.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories


----------



## miche28

This is shocking to me - while grandparents can certainly be an central part of a child's life, this is an infringement on parental rights that sets the stage for more ugliness, not less in contentious situations.

What a poorly considered idea designed to pull at people's heart strings.... ugh!


----------



## Blu Razzberri

We still need to discuss this!! What can we do to stop this?


----------



## allgirls

Quote:


Originally Posted by *miche28* 
This is shocking to me - while grandparents can certainly be an central part of a child's life, this is an infringement on parental rights that sets the stage for more ugliness, not less in contentious situations.

What a poorly considered idea designed to pull at people's heart strings.... ugh!

I agree...I have a friend who had a daughter when she was 18. Her boyfriend's mother insisted teh child call her "mommy-nan", insinuated herself into the child's life in the guise of support and then when the parents eventually split up tried to seek legal recourse to get custody of the grandchild. There was no recourse under the law and she had to give up. Thankfully. This was a grandparent who treated her grandchild well BUT the mother was a good mother, just young and single and vulnerable.

If there had been a "grandparent's law" she might have lost that child.

There is too much room for abuse. What needs to change is the CAS needs to look at grandparents as options for custody if they are suitable.

Of course there is room for abuse of that as well because there are grandparents will report the parents of their grandchild to CAS to get them in trouble which is why CAS is sometimes hesitant to give teh children to those grandparents. It's crazy.


----------

