The appellants, a Metis-white couple, took the respondent's infant daughter into their home and cared for her for several years, becoming her psychological parents.
The natural mother, an Indian woman who had struggled with alcoholism, later sought custody.
The trial judge granted the appellants' application for a de facto adoption, finding it was in the child's best interests.
The Court of Appeal overturned the adoption order.
The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeal and reinstated the adoption order, holding that the law focuses on the best interests of the child rather than parental property rights.
The Court emphasized that as the bond with prospective adoptive parents grows closer over time, the significance of cultural background and heritage abates.
