Days after self-proclaimed “Queen of Canada” Romana Didulo and several of her followers were arrested by the RCMP during a raid at a former school in Richmond, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has deemed the building unfit for habitation.
The health authority said it posted an order to vacate Friday, after it found the building in the southwestern Saskatchewan village was not connected to a municipal sewage system.
A social media post on Friday included photos of what appeared to be the health authority’s order posted on fencing around the building.
In an email to CBC on Friday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority confirmed the vacate order, saying it had “gathered sufficient evidence regarding health concerns and compliance issues … to determine there is a risk to public health safety,” and that the building was deemed “unfit for human occupation.”
As a result, the health authority issued an eviction order for anyone still occupying the building, the email said.
Any violators face fines under the Public Health Act of up to $75,000 for a first offence and $100 for each day the offence continues, the health authority said.
The order is only in effect for the former school, and not the trailers on site, and will remain in place until any “deficiencies” identified have been corrected to the satisfaction of a public health officer, it said.
Saskatchewan RCMP raided the former school in Richmound, about 365 kilometres west of Regina, on Wednesday. They arrested 16 adults, including Didulo, after receiving a report in August that one of its occupants had a firearm.
The building had been used for the past two years by Didulo and her cult, which one expert says began as part of the larger QAnon movement — which believes there is a secret cabal running the government — and evolved into a sovereign citizen movement.
RCMP say they seized 13 imitation semi-automatic handguns, ammunition and a large number of electronic devices during this week’s raid.
All 16 people arrested were initially released without charges, but police quickly re-arrested Didulo and Ricky Manz, who owns the former school.
Didulo and Manz have both been charged with failure to comply with an undertaking and intimidation of a justice participant.
RCMP said at least three other people are expected to be charged.
