In that respect (courts giving mothers chance after chance), Canada is much the same as the US and it's infuriating! The things I've seen during my days paracticing law would make your head spin! And the worst part is by the time the courts finally catch up to the fact the mother was the worst possible person to have custody of the child, so much damage has been done to the poor kid that it takes decades of therapy to try to undo it. It's be nice if there was a little more common sense in the law.

Yes, your husband's legal issues might be a barrier, but having a responsible, stable wife and home are points in his favour, at least from where I'm sitting. Keep fighting and holding on to hope. Worst case scenario, the child finds his dad when he's 18 and you'll both be able to look him in the eye and tell him you truly did everything you could. Kids know the truth when they hear it. :)