Proper procedures were followed according to a report into bus tickets given to two homeless men in Saskatchewan back in March.
But the Ministry of Social Services has taken a look at some of its transient aid policy in light of the incident
Charles Neil-Curly, 23 and 21-year-old Jeremy Roy arrived in Vancouver, B.C. and told their story of being given one-way tickets out of the province while living in a homeless shelter in North Battleford.
The subsequent review of that policy concludes that providing transportation when requested is consistent with a client’s right to make decisions about his or her life. In fact the transient aid policy is consistent with what is done in Alberta and Manitoba.
“Request for out of province travel of course isn’t necessarily refused if there is a legitimate reason for leaving the province – mobility is a fundamental right of Canadians,” Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer explained. “But there is definite criteria for where we will help with that movement.”
The report does state that these cases could have been handled better by dealing with the two individuals separately ensuring staff knew the correct procedures and making sure those policies are clearly laid out.