Kulbir K. Rahal Vaid

This decision addresses a contact order application by maternal grandparents seeking increased contact with their 6-year-old granddaughter.

The court carefully analyzes the best interests of the child under the Children’s Law Reform Act, considering the existing relationships, parental positions, and the child’s needs.

The court declines to defer to the parents’ wishes due to arbitrary and detrimental conduct by the mother in limiting contact.

It orders contact on one out of every three weekends plus extended holiday contact, balancing the child’s relationships with both sets of grandparents and parents, and emphasizing stability and quality of time over quantity.

The applicant father and respondent mother disagreed on whether their six-year-old child should return to in-person learning or continue online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court considered the risks of exposure to COVID-19, the lack of underlying health conditions for the child, the child's social development needs, and the safety measures implemented by the school.

The court concluded that the benefits of in-person learning outweighed the risks and ordered the child to return to school in person.

No costs were awarded due to the novelty of the issue.