The Minister of Health and Community Services was granted permanent guardianship of three children who had been placed in foster care.
The trial judge subsequently ordered that the natural parents be prohibited from having any contact with the children, finding that access was not in the children's best interests.
The Court of Appeal upheld the guardianship order but set aside the access prohibition, ordering the Minister to prepare an access plan.
The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the Minister's appeal, holding that while courts have jurisdiction to make an access order in conjunction with a permanent guardianship order, the trial judge made no manifest error in denying access based on the evidence that visits were disturbing to the children and could jeopardize their adoption.
