Richmound, Sask. mayor Brad Miller is stepping down on Oct. 15, after a grueling three-year tenure defined by a protracted standoff with Romana Didulo’s self-proclaimed “Kingdom of Canada” cult. Miller, who is halfway through a four-year term ending in November 2028, announced his departure to let a fresh leader take the reins in the village of 118 residents, located roughly 60 kilometers northwest of Maple Creek.
End of the Cult Occupation in Richmound
The remote southwest Saskatchewan village made national headlines on Sept. 15, 2023, when Didulo and her QAnon-affiliated followers moved into an empty local school building. For nearly two years, the group refused to pay utilities, dumped raw sewage into a children’s playground, and subjected local officials, including Miller, to threats of public execution. Residents frequently described the ordeal as living next to a dormant volcano.
The occupation finally came to an end on Sept. 3, 2025, when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) raided the school following a report that an occupant possessed a gun. Officers arrested and removed the cult members. Shortly after the raid, the Saskatchewan Health Authority declared the building unfit for human habitation, issuing a public health order that forced an eviction.
Reflecting on the turbulent period, Cypress Hills MLA Doug Steele commended Miller for handling an unprecedented crisis under intense community stress. However, Miller expressed frustration with the broader legal fallout, noting his strong disappointment after Crown prosecutors stayed charges against Didulo last March for failing to comply with an undertaking and intimidating a justice system participant.
Community Recovery and the Grow Together Initiative
With the cult removed, normalcy has largely returned to Richmound, prompting local leaders and newcomers to look toward the future. Scott Earl and his wife, Mel—who moved to the village just a week before the cult arrived—are spearheading community revitalization efforts as part of an initiative called Grow Together.
Earl serves as the project coordinator for the community’s new all-seasons domed greenhouse initiative, which aims to combat rural food insecurity in a region where the nearest grocery store with fresh produce is a 50-minute drive away. Funded initially by a $10,000 grant, the project invites villagers to volunteer their time planting, weeding, and watering in exchange for a share of the harvest. Excess produce will be dehydrated into dry soups and food packs for distribution to area food banks, helping the village build a self-sustaining foundation.
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