A report says an incident earlier this year that saw two homeless men in Saskatchewan given one-way bus tickets to British Columbia could have been handled better.
However, the report says providing transportation aid is within Saskatchewan’s Social Services policy and notes that Alberta and Manitoba have similar rules. The men aren’t named in the report, but Aboriginal men Charles Neil-Curly and Jeremy Roy made news in March when it was reported that they had been living at a homeless shelter and were sent out of Saskatchewan.
The two men had gone to an income assistance service centre in North Battleford in March to request the tickets. Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer notes that the men requested the tickets together.
“I was a little disappointed in some of the response, especially by some of the reporters in British Columbia, especially that they didn’t question the rights of these individuals or the reasons. So yes, it was a little frustrating and yes I do feel a little vindicated,” she said.
The report says aid workers there should have looked at the men’s cases on an individual basis to make sure the plan was right for each of them and should have contacted B-C officials before the men were put on the bus.
(The Canadian Press)