Saskatchewan mayor stepping down now that 'Queen of Canada' cult is gone

Richmound, Sask., Mayor Brad Miller says he's stepping down in mid-October after dealing with a cult living in the community during his time in office. (CBC)Social SharingWhen Brad Miller signed up to be the mayor of Richmound, Sask., he never dreamed his tiny southwestern village would be overrun by a cult.

After three years and many sleepless nights, the cult is finally gone.

Miller says he's stepping down on Oct. 15 in hopes that the village can start a new chapter. He is about halfway through a four-year term that was set to end in November 2028.

"We fought a lot of battles and wars, and I think it's just time," he said. "Somebody else can step up and take the reins, and maybe turn a new leaf."

Miller was elected as Richmound's mayor seven years ago. The village of 118 people is roughly 60 kilometres northwest of Maple Creek, near the Alberta border.

"Running for mayor in a small village or town should be a fairly easy thing," he joked.

But for Miller, it was anything but easy. He said he's also dealt with property fraud, disputes over the seniors centre and navigating the financial impact of the pandemic.

"Nobody knows the hours that I put in," Miller said. "It was day after day, week after week, month after month. And I don't think anybody should have to go through that."

Having cult in town like 'living next to dormant volcano,' says Richmound, Sask., resident

Richmound made national headlines on Sept. 15, 2023, when Romanda Didulo, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Canada" and her Kingdom of Canada followers moved into an empty school in the village.

She is known as a QAnon conspiracy theorist who started to amass a following during the pandemic.

For two years, the group refused to pay utilities, pumped raw sewage into a children's playground and threatened Miller and others with public executions.

The former school where members of the Kingdom of Canada cult lived for almost two years. (Shawn Mullin)Through it all, Miller was public about how the cult affected his town and continually sought help from the government and RCMP.

"I think Brad needs to be commended for how he handled it, you know, [being] blindsided with this," said Doug Steele, the MLA for Cypress Hills, who represents the area.

"This is a first-time situation, and I think they did quite well. It was pretty stressful for that community."

The RCMP raided the school on Sept. 3, 2025, arresting and removing members of the cult after receiving a report one of its occupants had a gun.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority declared the building "unfit for human habitation" and issued a public health order forcing the eviction of its occupants.

Sask. village mayor upset Crown stayed charges against cult leader

Didulo was charged with failing to comply with an undertaking and intimidating a justice system participant. The Crown stayed her charges last March.

Miller said he's very disappointed in the justice system for that decision.

Since the cult was pushed out, things are relatively back to normal in the village. 

"Well, for the village of Richmound, I feel great that we finally won the war," Miller said. "And I think there's a bright future."

Scott Earl and his wife, Mel, are among those helping the community start over.

The couple moved to town a week before the cult did. 

"We like to watch a lot of those documentaries about cults," Scott Earl joked. "Never thought [I'd] live through one."

Earl said it wasn't the fresh start he was expecting, but he's excited to be a part of a new future for Richmound.

"Everybody's bringing in new ideas to build the community, and I think we need to focus on those things rather than always looking in the rearview mirror."

He's the project co-ordinator for Grow Together, an initiative to build an all-seasons domed greenhouse.

"The idea behind the project is to have the villagers initiate some action by coming into the greenhouse, volunteering their time to either weed, plant, water," Earl said. "And by doing that, they'll be able to take a harvest from the greenhouse as well."

Richmound has a corner store, but the nearest grocery store with fresh produce is a 50-minute drive away.

Scott Earl, from left, Mel Earl, Richmound Coun. Renee Glass and Miller at the proposed site for an all-seasons greenhouse. (Shawn Mullin)"This is to try and help with food insecurity that we're battling across Canada right now, and to give rural Saskatchewan an advantage on being able to sustain ourselves," Earl said.

Grow Together plans to dehydrate any leftover food to create dry soups or food packs that can be donated to other food banks in the area.

The project got started using a $10,000 grant to address food insecurity. Fundraising initiatives continue, and Earl said they're only at two-thirds of the current fundraising goal.

The group is placing an order for the structure this month and is hoping the greenhouse can be up and operating by July.

Earl said he's sad Miller won't be marking the greenhouse's opening as mayor.

"He was an ambassador for the town — always friendly, engaging, willing to put the best efforts for the village forward," he said.

"It's kind of sad to see Brad step down because after going through all that, I think he should have had at least a few years of down time, where things are going in the right direction."

Miller is planning on staying in Richmound, where he lives with his wife. He said he's looking forward to watching the future community growth from the sidelines.

Halyna Mihalik is a journalist and weather specialist for CBC Saskatchewan. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Regina. Halyna enjoys stories about advocacy, local politics and rural communities. Send Halyna news tips at halyna.mihalik@cbc.ca