Pierre R. Lavigne

The applicant filed an application with the Child and Family Services Review Board under section 120 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, alleging the respondent society failed to process a complaint, provide reasons for decisions, and give the applicant an opportunity to be heard regarding access visits.

The Board dismissed the complaints regarding the formal complaint process and decisions made by the Quebec Director of Youth Protection, as the respondent did not make those decisions and no formal complaint was filed.

However, the Board found the respondent failed to give the applicant an opportunity to be heard regarding specific service concerns raised in an email, ordering the respondent to provide a response to those concerns.

The respondent Children's Aid Society requested that the application be dismissed due to the applicant's failure to file a witness list and summary of proposed testimony.

The applicant also failed to respond to a Board direction by the specified deadline, but later contacted the Board to express dissatisfaction without indicating an intention to withdraw.

The Board found the application was not abandoned and ordered the hearing to proceed, but restricted the applicant from calling any witnesses other than herself and limited her evidence to matters previously raised in writing.