About

Kit Perrick

For the past 22 years, Kit has practiced civil litigation, specializing in Family law, Aboriginal law, civil rights cases, and personal injury matters. Kit is an experienced family law litigator and trial lawyer.  This experience has given him a unique sense of compassion, patience, and trauma-informed advocacy, which he brings to his clients and the courtroom.
 
Born and raised in North Vancouver where he played competitive ice hockey, enjoyed skiing, and sea kayaking, Kit first became a high-school teacher for the North Vancouver School District #44. This upbringing and these early career steps helped him develop some balanced life perspectives and shaped him into a bold, stoic, and principled advocate.
 
Kit is a serious and effective advocate for children. He is a father of three and a former teacher. In these two roles, Kit developed a deep understanding, appreciation and respect for the rights and best interests of children.   
 
He certainly applies this child-centered perspective into his family law practice and his work in child protection matters. As Plaintiff Counsel, he has worked collaboratively with and against the Department of Justice; and, frequently, against the clergy in Catholic Church in serious abuse claims. In Manitoba, Kit worked with and on behalf of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs; and for Ojibway and Cree Elders as Plaintiff counsel for over 15 years in other cases. In 2019, he became a BC Law Society accredited Family Law Mediator as he sought to learn more about the dynamics of conflict management, alternate dispute resolution and mediation. He has appeared in all levels of Court in BC, and in courts across Western Canada.
 
Not only did he represent many Indian Residential School ‘survivors’ in serious abuse claims, in courts across BC but, he has also represented many claims against the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) for families that have been wrongly accused of child abuse and had the traumatic experience of having their children “removed” from their families, especially in First Nations cases. He has also represented families who were dealing with medical misdiagnoses and/or ‘medical kidnapping’ cases where children have been unjustly removed from their families on the basis of misdiagnoses by SCAN (Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect) Doctors. 
 
It is well-documented and widely known that the MCFD under the Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA) governs child abuse situations, and that BC’s child protection system under this legislation is broken. He has represented many wrongly accused parents and sought vindication through the Courts.  In many situations, the only recourse for wrongly accused families is using the Courts to obtain justice or push-back against the Ministry. 
 
Kit is not afraid to take on Directors’ Counsel and/or unaccountable Social Workers and ‘thinks outside the box’ in pushing back, or pursuing creative solutions in the face of injustices, perceived or real. He also deals with competing claims by the RCMP and the MCFD Social Workers. The perceived injustices arise from the tendency to make accused parents feel as if they are guilty until proven innocent and removing their children to foster families in the indefinite short-terms using Temporary Custody Orders (TCO’s).   
 
This is where Kit’s expertise and vast experience is tested – he has been known for remaining stoic and calm under these pressures – and seeks meaningful resolutions. Recently, he conducted a three-week trial against the MCFD and was successful in obtaining a return of the children to their natural parents who were otherwise facing permanent placement under CCO to a waiting foster family.   
 
Kit has also earned national respect and honed his professionalism as a passionate advocate for victims/survivors of abuse, frequently advocating on behalf of First Nations across Western Canada. He also made various submissions to and appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Moreover, in BC he has had the privilege and honour of representing the Sechelt First Nation, and represented members of the Squamish, Gitxsan, Glen Vowell, Tsleil-waututh and the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations.  
 
In Manitoba, he represented many members of the Sagkeeng First Nation; but also, significantly, was counsel for Chiefs of the Sagkeeng First Nation, against the Catholic Church and the Government of Canada as defendants.  Over many years of practice in Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, (as it was then) he represented countless members from the First Nations of Roseau River, Broken Head, Pine Creek, Lake Manitoba, Peguis, Berens River, Black River, Sioux Valley, Waywaysecappo, Buffalo Creek, Mantosippi and God’s River First Nations in countless proceedings in the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, in the judicial districts of Dauphin, the Pas / Thompson, Brandon, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg.  
 
Based on his years as legal counsel for Ojibway and Cree First Nations across the prairies, he is proud of his honourary Ojibwaa (Anishinaabe) name:  jiigeweyaazhagaame songidee bimossewin which translates into English, as ‘bravely walking along the edge’.  
 
A few years later he was given the nickname Skidjik, by the Sagkeeng Fontaine Elders; which means always laughing, always joking guy.  Since it is 2 syllables and much easier to pronounce, he preferred to be known there, in Manitoba and Saskatchewan as ‘Skidjik’. 
 
In Alberta he represented the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, as well as members from the Siksika First Nation in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. In Saskatchewan, he worked on RIRSD claims for plans for the Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination for the White Bear First Nation and Muskeg Lake teaming up with Chiefs, Elders and federal politicians. In Ontario, he also represented Elders of the Onigaming Ojibway First Nation, as well as from Grassy Narrows, Shoal Lake, Couchichin First Nations in their claims against the Government of Canada.  This culminated into the honour of making submissions to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and indirectly contributing materials to the MMIW.  
 
Above all else, he brings these 22 years of valuable cross-Canada experience to his litigation practice, in North Vancouver. In family law he focuses his practice on parenting and custody litigation, assists parties seeking emergency protection from family violence and divides high net worth property claims under the Family Law Act.  It has been formally observed that “Kit has achieved favourable legal outcomes for his clients as a result of his extraordinary professionalism and advocacy as counsel.”  
 
Kit’s professional cross-competencies as a lawyer, teacher, and mediator make him a strong legal advocate with valuable experience working on behalf of his clients.
 
When not spending time with his three children, Kit can be found exploring the wilderness or sea kayaking in remote locations such as Clayoquot Sound or the West Coast of Vancouver Island.