REGINA — RCMP F Division are reporting that 16 people were arrested today in connection to an investigation at a abandoned school in Richmound.
RCMP is reporting no charges have been laid as of yet. But they do confirm that one of those in custody is Romana Didulo, the so-called “Queen of Canada". No other names have been released.
Initially the RCMP had reported that 17 individuals had been arrested. Later that number was revised to 16 adults -- 11 females and five males.
RCMP Inspector Ashley St. Germaine spoke at a news conference at F Division on the charges and said the following:
"This morning at approximately 4:30 a.m., Saskatchewan RCMP executed a search warrant in Richmound, Saskatchewan. It was a privately owned decommissioned school inhabited by a group of individuals.
"The search warrant was obtained after we received a report of an individual occupying the building was in possession of a firearm. That report was received on Aug. 25, 2025. After receiving this report, Saskatchewan RCMP began an extensive investigation.
"This included careful monitoring of any risk to public safety and to the community of Richmound. A team of skilled and experienced senior officers was established to oversee this large and complex operation. This response was made up of RCMP officers from throughout the province, including our critical incident response team, tactical support group, containment team, police dog services, provincial general investigation section, remotely piloted aircraft system, and detachment members.
"We also had assistance from Regina Police Services SWAT program. There were more than 30 police vehicles along with two tactical vehicles at the scene. The safety of the public and our officers is the top priority in any situation.
"We carefully examined the components of the property prior to the execution of the search warrant. This maximized the likelihood of a quick, smooth, and safe operation. There were approximately eight RVs parked on the property.
"A team of officers cleared the RVs while another team methodically cleared the building from one side to the other...
"The buildings were cleared and all individuals were arrested by 6 a.m. The next phase of the investigation is now in its early stages. Investigators are still in the process of searching the building, collecting evidence, and interviewing those arrested. At this time, no charges have been laid.
"As of the last update from investigators, which was received at 11:30 [a.m.] this morning, we have located and seized four replica handguns, one inside the building, and three inside vehicles. While clearing the property, officers observed modifications that had been made to the existing structure. We notified fire investigators with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency who are now engaged in their own investigation.
"We understand that there's a lot of interest in this investigation and the next steps. The Saskatchewan RCMP is committed to transparency. We will provide more information as we're able, while being mindful of the investigational integrity and privacy responsibilities.
"I think what's important to highlight today is the excellent work done by our investigative team. Their dedication, attention to detail, and professionalism allowed this operation to unfold without injury or risk to public safety.
"This operation was incredibly complex and robust. We drew on the RCMP and partner resources from across the province to successfully execute this search warrant. Throughout the investigation, the safety of the public and the residents of Richmound has been the highest priority and was constantly considered.
"Finally, I thank the residents of Richmound for their ongoing patience as this investigation continues to unfold."
St. Germaine did confirm that one of the individuals that was inside the building "identified herself as Romana Didulo, which was, as I understand, live-streamed as it happened. So she presented herself and identified herself as that and released it to the public, so I can confirm that she is in custody."
As for whether other individuals arrested were members of the "Kingdom of Canada" St. Germaine said she could not speak as to who all of the individuals are and if they are all associated to the "Kingdom of Canada", but that "Romana Dadulo has identified herself as the leader of that group."
"So I expect that some of those people are associated to the 'Kingdom of Canada', but I don't have confirmation at this point on those details."
Activities at the school in Richmound involving the "Queen of Canada," as well as investigations, have been ongoing for some time. As for why the arrests happened now, St. Germaine explained how that came about.
"So what I can say is the report about the firearm was received on August 25. And you're correct, there's been other investigations into the 'Kingdom of Canada' and activities in that area. At this point in time, we were able to gather enough evidence to meet the threshold of gathering a search warrant to enter the property to execute it.
"And through the course of any of our investigations, before we take any action, we have to make sure that we do meet the thresholds that the courts will be satisfied that we can enter into private property. So that's essentially what happened here is the investigation report was received, investigation unfolded and got to the point that we had enough grounds to be able to get a Section 487 search warrant to enter the property to execute."
As for what timeline we can expect as to when charges might be laid against the individuals arrested, St. Germaine has this to say:
"So they've been arrested and legally we have 24 hours to either lay a charge, have a person before the courts or release them. If we release individuals without charges, that doesn't mean that they may not be charged down the road. What that means is we potentially don't have enough evidence to charge them right now, but we can gather enough evidence to charge them down the road if that's appropriate in that case. So if people are released today or tomorrow without charges, that doesn't necessarily equate to no charges will ever be laid."
