MOM, BABE IN HIDING

A Surrey mom, her newborn baby and the baby's grandmother are on the
run today from the ministry for children and families.

The trio were heading for a safe house in an undisclosed location last
night after the grandmother took her day-old grandson out of Kelowna
General Hospital in a duffel bag, fearing the baby would be
apprehended. The baby's older brother and sister are in foster care.

"I've been on the run since 10 hours after I gave birth," Jennifer
Bertrand, 28, said when The Province tracked her down. "I feel like a
fugitive even though we don't know what we're running from."

Bertrand, who is a nurse, gave birth to her son Aidan in Vernon
hospital on Saturday morning.

She and her common-law husband Mark Steiner, 36, had been visiting
their two children, aged five and 14 months, who live in a foster
home, when Bertrand went into labour.

The family's advocate, Kari Simpson, said the mother and baby left the
Vernon hospital and were staying in a Kelowna motel when three
Mounties and a social worker showed up to take the baby.

"She gets me on the phone and I tell her they have to get a court
order," said Simpson. "They agree to have the baby go to Kelowna
hospital. The social worker is demanding a drug test on the baby."

Simpson said the baby's grandmother, Gloria Marsaw, 57, of Port
Coquitlam, "tucked the baby in a duffel bag and left" the hospital
Sunday night, just a day before the ministry got a court order for
interim custody of the infant.

Marsaw is a nurse, child-care consultant and registered foster parent,
and a former social worker for the ministry.

A hospital spokesman said the infant was not abducted because the
mother had custody when the baby left. He said there was no reason to
keep the baby in the hospital.

Simpson says the ministry believes the baby may have been born
drug-addicted.

"This is ridiculous," she said. "He's a beautiful, healthy, happy
nine-pound baby."

Yesterday morning Langley RCMP called at Simpson's home looking for
the baby.

B.C. child protection director Ross Dawson said the ministry and the
police are searching for the child.

"We have enough protection concerns," he said. "It is up to the court
to determine if our concerns are adequate."

In an interview a week ago with The Province, Bertrand said she first
got involved with the ministry after she asked for support for
post-partum depression.

She also admitted using cocaine for three weeks after she and Mark
split up briefly more than a year ago.

Simpson said she is meeting with lawyers to discuss the family's
options.