"I promise to continue to fight for your rights to see your kids."

So where do you begin when you try to explain climbing a crane in the middle of the night dressed like the super hero Robin? Well, I guess we could start where it all began.

I was born in McKenzie, British Columbia in 1984. My father was denied his right to be acknowledged as my biological parent and denied all access to my brother and I.

Having never met my father, at the age of fourteen, after several foster home placements and all kinds of heartache and pain, I began to wonder whom my father was. After a few months of wondering I took action in trying to find out why my father never contacted me in fourteen years. So where was I to start? With my father being unacknowledged on my birth registration I had no means of knowing. As such my only hope was family and friends but they were reluctant to divulge said information.

After a year or so of pestering my relatives my grandmother finally told me who my father was, and that the courts had denied him all access to me after my parents divorce. After finally finding out his name and some background information I searched the internet and phone books and any resource I could get my hands on with no luck. I became frustrated in the knowledge that because of child custody laws I was deprived of my dad. I wanted to know why a judge would take my father away from me.

Needless to say, I ended up in many foster homes in the care of the ministry of children and families and found it ironic that the courts would give custody to a women who would give me up anyway.

After years of seeking justice for what the courts have done to my life, I was soon to meet others who shared similar frustrations with the legal process. In 2005 I became friends with a man who was affiliated with a group known as Fathers-4-Justice who were staging protests for their children. I could see no logical reason why the courts would remove their children from their lives. In the last few months I have met men who have spent thousands of dollars in legal fees just to catch a glimpse into there children’s lives. The thing I admired about these men was their conviction to their children and the sacrifices they were prepared to make too be a part of their children’s lives.

I heard stories of men climbing bridges and cranes and legislature buildings all over the world just to be a part of their children’s lives. I yearned to be a part of their ongoing struggle to free their children from the grasps of a corrupt and bias government. Then the day came where I got my shot and was given the opportunity to assist in one of these stunts. I was to help the Incredible Hulk climb the Alex Fraser Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia, May 7, 2005 and wound up staying on the bridge due to unforeseen circumstances. As I was standing on that bridge with a superhero by my side I actually found a place of peace within myself and realized that I too wanted to don a costume of my own and spread the message to the world that things need to change.


My first official F4J action was too climb a crane with the Burnaby Batman in Vancouver British Columbia, September 3, 2005 dressed as Robin the Boy Wonder. I will continue to climb and amaze onlookers with such stunts for as long as it takes. Fathers-4-Justice has provided me the means to help make a difference and to spread the message that children need both of their parents in their lives.

As such I promise to continue to fight for your rights to see your kids.

Chris Coderre
Robin the Boy Wonder
Fathers4Justice-Canada