Wilson v. Grassick, [1994] 6 WWR 570

JudgeTallis, Wakeling and Lane, JJ.A.
CourtCourt of Appeal (Saskatchewan)
Case DateFebruary 22, 1994
JurisdictionSaskatchewan
Citations[1994] 6 WWR 570;68 WAC 1;1994 CanLII 4709 (SK CA);2 RFL (4th) 291;120 Sask R 1;(1994), 120 Sask.R. 1 (CA)

Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 120 Sask.R. 1 (CA);

    68 W.A.C. 1

MLB headnote and full text

Shelly Marie Wilson (applicant/respondent) v. Harold James Grassick (respondent/appellant)

(Appeal File No. 1669)

Indexed As: Wilson v. Grassick

Saskatchewan Court of Appeal

Tallis, Wakeling and Lane, JJ.A.

February 22, 1994.

Summary:

In 1988, a husband and wife divorced. The wife consented to an order granting custody of their son to the husband. In 1993, the wife applied to vary the custody order.

The Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench, in a decision not reported in this series, allowed the application and granted custody to the wife. The father appealed.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, Wakeling, J.A., dissenting, allowed the appeal and granted custody to the husband with the child alternating residences on a weekly basis.

Family Law - Topic 1950

Custody and access - Variation of custody and access rights - Changed circumstances of parents - On divorce, a wife, age 18, consented to her husband, age 43, having custody of their son - Husband earned $20,000 annually - Now living with his mother, unemployed and receiving welfare - In an unstable relationship - Adequately met the child's needs - After divorcing, the wife matured, bettered herself finan­cially and remarried - Child comfortable in both homes - On a variation applica­tion, the wife obtained custody - A coun­sellor's recommendation favoured the father - The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal held that the trial judge's finding of a material change was based on a change in the parents' circumstances and not the child's - The court therefore granted the husband custody with the child alternating residences on a weekly basis.

Family Law - Topic 1950.1

Custody and access - Variation of custody and access rights - Changed circumstances of child - [See Family Law - Topic 1950 ].

Cases Noticed:

Pelech v. Pelech, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 801; 76 N.R. 81; [1987] 4 W.W.R. 481; 7 R.F.L.(3d) 225; 14 B.C.L.R.(2d) 145; 38 D.L.R.(4th) 641; 17 C.P.C.(2d) 1, consd. [para. 9].

Talbot v. Henry (1990), 84 Sask.R. 170; 25 R.F.L.(3d) 415 (C.A.), consd. [paras. 9, 29].

Harrington v. Harrington (1981), 22 R.F.L.(2d) 40 (Ont. C.A.), consd. [para. 9].

Willick v. Willick (1992), 100 Sask.R. 211; 18 W.A.C. 211 (C.A.), consd. [paras. 19, 32].

Wittal (Himmelspach) v. Himmelspach (1983), 27 Sask.R. 143 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 34].

Statutes Noticed:

Divorce Act, R.S.C. 1985 (2nd Supp.), c. 3, sect. 17(5) [paras. 10, 19, 27]; sect. 21(1), sect. 21(5) [para. 20].

Counsel:

E. Husk, for the appellant;

J.J. Vogel and D. Soroka, for the respon­dent.

This appeal was heard on January 10, 1994, before Tallis, Wakeling and Lane, JJ.A., of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.

On February 22, 1994, the decision was delivered for the Court of Appeal and the following opinions were filed:

Lane, J.A. (Tallis, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 25;

Wakeling, J.A., dissenting - see para­graphs 26 to 49.

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140 practice notes
  • Gordon v. Goertz, (1996) 196 N.R. 321 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • 6 Diciembre 1995
    ...Willick v. Willick, [1994] 3 S.C.R. 670 ; 173 N.R. 321 ; 125 Sask.R. 81 ; 81 W.A.C. 81 , refd to. [para. 7]. Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 120 Sask.R. 1; 68 W.A.C. 1 ; 2 R.F.L.(4th) 291 (C.A.), refd to. [para. Baynes v. Baynes (1987), 8 R.F.L.(3d) 139 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 11]. ......
  • Gordon v. Goertz, (1996) 141 Sask.R. 241 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • 2 Mayo 1996
    ...Willick v. Willick, [1994] 3 S.C.R. 670 ; 173 N.R. 321 ; 125 Sask.R. 81 ; 81 W.A.C. 81 , refd to. [para. 7]. Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 120 Sask.R. 1; 68 W.A.C. 1 ; 2 R.F.L.(4th) 291 (C.A.), refd to. [para. Baynes v. Baynes (1987), 8 R.F.L.(3d) 139 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 11]. ......
  • Parenting Arrangements After Divorce
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Canadian Family Law - Ninth edition
    • 25 Julio 2022
    ...(1994), 92 Man R (2d) 164 (CA); Gill v Chiang, 2011 ONSC 6803; Talbot v Henry (1990), 25 RFL (3d) 415 (Sask CA); Wilson v Grassick (1994), 2 RFL (4th) 291 (Sask CA), leave to appeal to SCC refused (1994), 7 RFL (4th) 254 (SCC); compare Magnus v Magnus, [2006] SJ No 510 (CA) (variation of sh......
  • Parenting Arrangements after Divorce
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Archive Canadian Family Law. Eighth Edition
    • 3 Agosto 2020
    ...(1994), 92 Man R (2d) 164 (CA); Gill v Chiang, 2011 ONSC 6803; Talbot v Henry (1990), 25 RFL (3d) 415 (Sask CA); Wilson v Grassick (1994), 2 RFL (4th) 291 (Sask CA), leave to appeal to SCC refused (1994), 7 RFL (4th) 254 (SCC); compare Magnus v Magnus, [2006] SJ No 510 (CA) (variation of sh......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
113 cases
  • Gordon v. Goertz, (1996) 196 N.R. 321 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • 6 Diciembre 1995
    ...Willick v. Willick, [1994] 3 S.C.R. 670 ; 173 N.R. 321 ; 125 Sask.R. 81 ; 81 W.A.C. 81 , refd to. [para. 7]. Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 120 Sask.R. 1; 68 W.A.C. 1 ; 2 R.F.L.(4th) 291 (C.A.), refd to. [para. Baynes v. Baynes (1987), 8 R.F.L.(3d) 139 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 11]. ......
  • Gordon v. Goertz, (1996) 141 Sask.R. 241 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • 2 Mayo 1996
    ...Willick v. Willick, [1994] 3 S.C.R. 670 ; 173 N.R. 321 ; 125 Sask.R. 81 ; 81 W.A.C. 81 , refd to. [para. 7]. Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 120 Sask.R. 1; 68 W.A.C. 1 ; 2 R.F.L.(4th) 291 (C.A.), refd to. [para. Baynes v. Baynes (1987), 8 R.F.L.(3d) 139 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 11]. ......
  • Haider v. Malach, (1999) 177 Sask.R. 285 (CA)
    • Canada
    • Saskatchewan Court of Appeal (Saskatchewan)
    • 17 Mayo 1999
    ...Sask.R. 135 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 84]. Burgmaier v. Burgmaier (1986), 46 Sask.R. 1 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 84]. Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 120 Sask.R. 1; 68 W.A.C. 1 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 85]. R. v. B. (1984), 31 Sask.R. 54 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 86]. Hardcastle v. Huculak and Saskatch......
  • D.Y. v. H.Y., (1998) 170 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 298 (PEITD)
    • Canada
    • 9 Noviembre 1998
    ...if the applicant is unable to show the existence of a material change, the inquiry can go no farther: Wilson v. Grassick (1994), 2 R.F.L.(4th) 291 (Sask. C.A.). "The requirement of a material change in the situation of the child means that an application to vary custody cannot serve as......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
26 books & journal articles
  • Table of Cases
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Child Support Guidelines in Canada, 2022
    • 27 Julio 2022
    ...[2000] NWTJ No 3, 4 RFL (5th) 146 (SC)............................................... 8, 445, 448, 449, 458 Wilson v Grassick (1994), 2 RFL (4th) 291 (Sask CA)............................................................................................ 643 Wilson v Larocque, 2016 NWTSC 26.........
  • Table of cases
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Archive Child Support Guidelines in Canada, 2020
    • 23 Junio 2019
    ...[2000] NWTJ No 3, 4 RFL (5th) 146 (SC) ...............................................8, 426, 428, 429, 438 Wilson v Grassick (1994), 2 RFL (4th) 291 (Sask CA) ...........................................................................................603 Wilson v Larocque, 2016 NWTSC 26 .........
  • Parenting Arrangements After Divorce
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Canadian Family Law - Ninth edition
    • 25 Julio 2022
    ...(1994), 92 Man R (2d) 164 (CA); Gill v Chiang, 2011 ONSC 6803; Talbot v Henry (1990), 25 RFL (3d) 415 (Sask CA); Wilson v Grassick (1994), 2 RFL (4th) 291 (Sask CA), leave to appeal to SCC refused (1994), 7 RFL (4th) 254 (SCC); compare Magnus v Magnus, [2006] SJ No 510 (CA) (variation of sh......
  • Parenting Arrangements after Divorce
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Archive Canadian Family Law. Eighth Edition
    • 3 Agosto 2020
    ...(1994), 92 Man R (2d) 164 (CA); Gill v Chiang, 2011 ONSC 6803; Talbot v Henry (1990), 25 RFL (3d) 415 (Sask CA); Wilson v Grassick (1994), 2 RFL (4th) 291 (Sask CA), leave to appeal to SCC refused (1994), 7 RFL (4th) 254 (SCC); compare Magnus v Magnus, [2006] SJ No 510 (CA) (variation of sh......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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