N. Matthews

The mother, who had custody of the parties' seven-year-old child, died suddenly of a drug overdose.

The father brought an emergency motion for temporary custody.

The maternal aunt, who had been secretly caring for the child for the past year due to the mother's substance abuse issues, sought to be added as a party and requested custody based on the status quo.

The court found that the aunt and the mother had actively concealed the mother's struggles and the child's living arrangements from the father and the court.

The court granted temporary custody to the father, concluding that the aunt's deceptive conduct demonstrated a profound lack of insight and an inability to foster the child's relationship with her father.

The applicant sought Crown wardship for five children who had been apprehended due to domestic violence and physical discipline.

The mother, a victim of domestic violence, consented to Crown wardship with access, recognizing her limitations in caring for the children.

The father sought the return of the children to his care.

The court found that the father had not sufficiently addressed his emotionally and physically abusive parenting style and posed a risk of harm to the children.

The court ordered that the four youngest children be made Crown wards with access, while the oldest child remain in the father's care subject to supervision.