Sask. NDP wants review of gov’t response to ‘Queen of Canada’ occupation in Richmound

WATCH: The Sask. NDP is calling for a review of the government response to the ‘Queen of Canada’ occupation. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports.

The Saskatchewan NDP is questioning the length of time it took to remove the self-proclaimed “Queen of Canada” and her followers from a property in Richmound.

The Official Opposition is demanding the provincial government carry out a “major multi-agency review,” arguing that the residents of Richmound deserve answers and accountability.

“With this multiple ministry review looking at why the Ministry of Justice, why the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), why municipal affairs and so many other agencies weren’t willing to take action and step in, and put an end to this sooner rather than later,” NDP MLA Brittney Senger told reporters Tuesday morning.

The leader of the so-called “Kingdom of Canada,” Romana Didulo, and 15 of her followers were arrested on Sept. 3 after RCMP executed a search warrant at a decommissioned school the group was using as a compound in Richmound, Sask.

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The group had resided at the property since September 2023. During that time, the NDP said residents in the area feared for their safety.

“This is someone who threatened to kill public officials and terrorized an entire community for two years,” Senger expressed. “People in Richmound and every community in Saskatchewan deserve to feel safe in their homes and their businesses.”

The Government of Saskatchewan said it was monitoring the situation carefully, allowing the police to respond when the circumstances allowed.

“We’ve certainly received letters of concern from folks within the community, again, highlighting the concern for us, but as the minister responsible - I don’t direct policing,” Minister Tim McLeod told reporters on Monday.

“We certainly oversee it and make sure that the communities have the policing that they need. In this case the RCMP were very engaged, very watchful of the situation and when the time was appropriate, they acted.”

In a statement to CTV News, the ministry reiterated that it oversees police services across Saskatchewan, but is not in charge of how detachments operate.

“It is deeply concerning that the NDP critic of ethics and democracy was asked directly whether she is calling on the Minister to direct police operations, and she refused to say no,” the government’s statement read.

“Political interference in policing operations should be unequivocally condemned and the NDP’s unrestrained instinct to interfere in independent police matters is not only lost and reckless, it’s particularly shocking.”

The owner of the decommissioned school in Richmound, Ricky Manz, was released from custody in Swift Current on Tuesday under conditions, pending his trial date.