The Saskatchewan government has reviewed the cases of welfare clients given one-way bus tickets to B.C. — and there's no suggestion any major mistakes were made.

In particular, the report doesn't find fault with the general practice of providing "out of province travel benefits" to Ministry of Social Services clients.

There is always room for improvement. - Government report

When two jobless men were given bus tickets to B.C. early in 2016, some B.C. officials were upset, suggesting Saskatchewan was off-loading its transients. One Vancouver city councillor said it was "appalling".

The government says it should have done some things differently — such as contacting B.C. officials earlier and dealing with the two people separately — and has recommended 10 improvements.

However, the report noted that both people who went to B.C. requested the bus tickets.

"The decisions made in this situation were in keeping with the individual's right to make decisions about his or her life," the report said.

One of the recommendations is to create more detailed procedures for sending welfare clients out of province.

"There is always room for improvement," the report released Thursday said.

Minister feels 'vindicated'

Saskatchewan's minister responsible for social services, Donna Harpauer, echoed that observation.

"We'll be following through with those recommendations," Harpauer said, talking about improving written policies. She said her ministry will improve the way requests for out-of-province travel are handled by social workers by providing workers with detailed information on policies and procedures.

"Mobility is a fundamental right of Canadians," she added. "And that is not taken away from you if you are low income."

Harpauer said some news media reporting of what happened in March appeared, in her view, to overlook that people have the right to move from place to place.

"It was a little frustrating," Harpauer said, talking about news coverage concerning the two men. "I do feel a little vindicated."

Pair took bus from North Battleford

The men aren't named in the report, but Charles Neil-Curly and Jeremy Roy made news in March when it was reported that they had been living at a homeless shelter and obtained bus tickets to travel to B.C.

The pair went together to an income assistance service centre in North Battleford to request the tickets.

The report noted that providing transportation aid is within policy and said Alberta and Manitoba have similar rules.

The review also found that the aid workers should have looked at the men's cases on an individual basis, rather than at the same time, to make sure the travel plan was the right one for each of them.

The report added Saskatchewan should have contacted B.C. officials sooner and given the men more information for their options upon arrival.

"They had not done that until after the clients were on a bus, whereas normally it should have been done prior, so that's an improvement that can be made," Harpauer said.

Union Gospel Mission helps out

In March, Neil-Curly said he chose B.C. because his best friend lives on Vancouver Island, and he hoped to start a new life with a job and a home.

But he also told reporters in Vancouver that he probably would have stayed at the shelter if he had a choice. He said he had support there as well as his own bed.

The two men initially were housed at the Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver.

Derek Weiss, manager of community engagement at the mission, said one of the men, who was sick and had higher needs, was referred to another agency for help. Weiss couldn't comment on the status of the

case due to confidentiality.

He said the Saskatchewan government's report caught two key mistakes.

"You do have to look at each person on an individual basis. And when you send somebody somewhere, it is crucial to have a support network set up for them when they arrive," he said.

"A vulnerable person isn't necessarily able to take steps to keep themselves safe and healthy when they arrive."

Jason Stennes, CEO of 360 Cranes Services, said he hired Neil-Curly shortly after the 23-year-old arrived in Vancouver and the young man was a good construction worker.

But he vanished in mid-June with no warning, said Stennes.

"Unfortunately he's off the grid. I don't know where he is," he said. "There's no real fairy-tale ending."