S36 E5: Election Day | The Cult Queen of Canada

Summary

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The Cult Queen of Canada: Election Day — Episode 5 (Season 36)

Podcast: Uncover (CBC)
Airdate: March 23, 2026
Host: Rachel Brown

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Overview

This episode of Uncover delves into the pivotal mayoral election in Richmound, Saskatchewan, a town now infamous for the arrival of Romana Didulo—a self-declared “Queen of Canada”—and her devoted followers. The election becomes a referendum not only on local governance but also on the future of the so-called kingdom and the deep rifts dividing the community. At the heart of the episode is the struggle between hope and disinformation, as personal stories of vulnerability reveal how Didulo’s cult exploits the sick and the elderly, while entrenched factions vie for power and healing feels far away.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Stakes: Sarah’s Story and the Pull of the Cult (00:35–06:11)

• Sarah’s father, an ailing Richmound resident, is introduced as a case study in how Didulo’s promises lure the vulnerable. Isolated and struggling with leukemia, he becomes involved with the cult after being introduced by friends.
• The central hook: false hope. Didulo’s fabricated "med beds"—fantastical devices said to cure all illness and reverse aging—convince Sarah’s father to consider abandoning chemotherapy and even donate scarce pension money to secure a place in line.
• Sarah:

  “He believes this so much, and it just breaks my heart.” (05:18)

• The family investigates the cult’s claims:

  “We did a reverse search on the photo. It was from the movie Prometheus. Yeah, I guess they're just taking actual science fiction films.” – Sarah’s Husband (04:41)

• The segment crystallizes how conspiracy promises thrive on hope, not just fear or online algorithms.

Notable Quote:

“When you're sick, it's easy to prey on you for that.” – Sarah’s Husband (04:22)

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2. Battle Lines at the Polls: Election Tensions & Local Divides (08:04–15:05)

• As Election Day begins, hostilities flare at the polling station. Longtime residents and recent arrivals trade accusations, and even family ties are frayed by suspicions about cult-aligned voters.
• Brad Miller, incumbent mayor, stands as the anti-cult candidate, fighting to expel Didulo and her followers. His challenger, Jody Smith, casts himself as a neutral peacemaker, cautious of ostracizing the cult.
• The voting process itself is fraught, with objections flying over eligibility and intent:

  “You got a piece of dirt so you could come and vote.” – Local Resident (09:09)

• Rachel observes:

  “Two sides of the battle for Richmond. Jig representing the so-called elites, the anti cult side, and Bill standing in for the seniors who are more sympathetic…” (09:15)

• Social media only intensifies the rancor, as both factions sling insults in the local Facebook group.

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3. Jockeying for Every Vote & Melinda’s Maneuvering (10:10–13:29; 17:07–21:13)

• Melinda Fisher, a complex local figure, is simultaneously supporting the cult and helping Jody’s campaign. She actively brings cult sympathizers to the polls, even frail elderly members like Sarah’s dad.
• Meanwhile, the cult itself appears to be hunkered down, not visibly participating—but their potential votes hang over the election as a wild card.

Notable Moment:
When asked why she's helping the cult:

“These people here in the school are mild. They're nothing compared to what the village is.” – Melinda Fisher (10:13)

• Jody’s campaign headquarters—a seniors’ club by day—turns into an election “war room.” Jody uses a “dumb phone” for campaign calls:

  “Text and talk only. No data.” (14:16)

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4. Community Bonds, Isolation, and the Symbolism of Small Gestures (18:17–21:13)

• At Brown Bear Grocery, Roxanne (a local undecided voter), weighs her decision not just on politics but community participation:

  “To some people, it means that he's not part of our town. He doesn't want to support different functions and stuff like that.” (19:26)

• The pierogi lunch, a seemingly trivial event, is used as a gauge for community involvement and belonging.

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5. Dirty Tricks: Smear Campaigns and Meme Warfare (21:24–22:15; 23:17–24:11)

• Brad’s campaign posters are hacked and satirized ("Election tampering 101"), escalating tensions.
• Melinda embraces her role as a meme generator:

  “Yeah, no, I do the memes. I'm Search Queen and then I'm also the meme queen.” (23:31)

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6. Election Results & Immediate Fallout (25:52–34:43)

• The vote count is intensely anticipated, with both mayoral candidates and their supporters reading body language through community center windows as ballots are tallied.
• Brad Miller is reelected by a clear margin:

  “60 for me, 42 for him, nine more than I thought.” – Brad (27:23)

• Emotions run high on both sides, with Jody’s supporters feeling betrayed and suspecting votes from the cult didn’t materialize:

  “If those calls would have came, done. If they would have come, there wouldn’t even be a—” (30:36)

• Melinda expresses regret for risking so much for the cult:

  “Absolutely, I do. I feel very let down. I think I'm gonna keep my distance.” (31:50)

• Despite the win, the community’s fractures remain painfully evident.

  “The anti cult side had won the election, but… it was clear that not much had changed. The town was still divided and Queen Romana and her cult were still bunkered down in the school. It would take something much bigger, something much more serious than an election to finally get them out for good.” (35:08)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He believes this so much, and it just breaks my heart.” – Sarah (05:18)
• “You got a piece of dirt so you could come and vote.” – Local Resident (09:09)
• “We did a reverse search on the photo. It was from the movie Prometheus.” – Sarah’s Husband (04:41)
• “Yeah, no, I do the memes. I'm Search Queen and then I'm also the meme queen.” – Melinda Fisher (23:31)
• “Honestly, they're going to have to kill me to get rid of me.” – Melinda Fisher (32:26)
• “We’re going to go forward and we’re going to make it positive and we’re going to try to put the you back in Richmond.” – Brad Miller (33:47)
• “The Queen of Canada doesn’t vote in a little village. She’s the queen.” – Rachel Brown (30:42)
• “Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat. Woo.” – Schoolteacher Sha Sane, celebrating (34:32)
• “How could he not have felt beaten down over the last year in not feeling like we had anything to signify accomplishment of working against this evil force, this evil, illegitimate and fake force? So this, yeah, this is a huge step.” – Sha Sane (34:43)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:35–06:11: Sarah’s family and the cult’s lure of the vulnerable (med bed scam)
• 08:04–09:32: Polling station confrontations, local alliances and enmities
• 14:01–15:37: Jody’s campaign methods and priorities; reflections on Richmond’s divides
• 19:24–20:56: Significance of the pierogi lunch, markers of community belonging
• 22:04–23:17: Smear campaigns, burnt posters, meme warfare
• 25:52–27:44: Vote count and immediate reactions as the results are revealed
• 30:56–32:26: Melinda’s disappointment in the cult, fallout from strategic alliances
• 33:10–34:43: Fire-pit celebration, communal feelings, hope for healing
• 35:08–35:35: Final reflection on the continued divide and ominous foreshadowing

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Conclusion

Election Day offers a gripping, ground-level look at how misinformation, isolation, and small-town dynamics collide in the shadow of a modern-day cult. The episode interweaves deeply personal struggles with high-stakes political drama, illustrating the slow erosion and fragile resilience of a divided community. With the anti-cult candidate victorious but the cult still entrenched, the question of Richmound’s future remains painfully unsettled. The episode ends with a cliffhanger as rumors start that law enforcement might finally be moving to arrest Didulo and her group, making the next episode a must-listen for those following the saga.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Interviewer]

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[Local Resident/Community Member]

U N D this is a CBC podcast.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It sometimes feels like the deeper I get into the story of Richmound, the further I get from the story of Romana Didolo and her cult. It can feel like the presence of the Queen is incidental to the simmering local grievances that have the town divided. That's why I need you to meet Sarah.

[Melinda Fisher]

Goddess.

[Sarah]

I'm loving my hair since I got here.

[Melinda Fisher]

Oh, right.

[Sarah]

His family, not so much.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Sarah and I met up to talk because of something that happened to her dad.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And so how long has he lived in Richmond?

[Sarah]

For 12 years.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And what brought him here?

[Sarah]

I'm pretty sure it's the price.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Sarah's dad moved to Richmond for an affordable retirement. We're not using his name or her real name to protect her father's privacy at her request, he spent his first years in Richmond on his own. Sarah says he had a tough time finding community in town. Then he got sick and he was not doing well.

[Sarah]

His health was getting worse because he has, like really progressed mds, which is leukemia.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

He lost weight, was weak and tired. Sarah worried about her father from afar. She and her husband were living a few provinces over. Then her dad started getting treatment, blood transfusions and chemotherapy. But the cancer was still progressing. So she was relieved when her dad reported he'd made some friends in town. One woman and one man, neither of whom Sarah wants to name.

[Sarah]

He only had a handful of friends who he met. The woman in town was his only friend and the man who owns the school.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And her dad started telling her about this group that's staying in the Richmond school, who his friends have introduced him to.

[Sarah]

She kept bringing him to the school to be with those people and to eat with them. And they used to feed him all the time, which I like that he's alone. He's an old man.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Did he ever say anything about interacting with Queen Romana?

[Sarah's Husband]

Yeah.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

What does he say?

[Sarah]

He just said there's nothing weird going on there. Like, dad, what are they doing? It's weird.

[Sarah's Husband]

I do think he buys into her

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

politics a little bit.

[Melinda Fisher]

Yeah.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

That's Sarah's husband.

[Sarah's Husband]

I have heard him talking about the fact that we have a government here like a mayor's here. He considers it treason against the queen.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Meanwhile, her dad started talking about a new potential treatment for his cancer. When did you first hear him talk about the med beds?

[Sarah]

He's been talking about them for a year, hasn't he?

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

What did he say about them exactly?

[Sarah]

Just that they can reverse your aging. They can heal you, they can change your DNA.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Med beds. These are fictional medical devices that Romana has been promising her followers are coming soon. Images shared online show futuristic medical pods, often with bright lights and airtight lids. They're said to be able to cure almost anything. They can perform surgeries, regrow limbs, cure diseases, and even reverse aging. This conspiracy theory predates Romana and has been spread beyond the kingdom of Canada. In the fall of 2025, Donald Trump even posted an AI generated video of himself promising med beds.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Every American will soon receive their own medbed card. With it, you'll have guaranteed access to our new hospitals, led by the top.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

But Romana has been selling her followers on medbeds for years, and it's gotten some of her older followers hooked. Followers like Sarah's dad.

[Sarah's Husband]

I think he thinks he's gonna get one and be 20 again. Healthy.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

I think that's kind of how they're selling it.

[Sarah]

And it's just so sad.

[Sarah's Husband]

When you're sick, it's easy to prey on you for that.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Of course. And did you know that they were something that was coming from this person called Queen Romana?

[Sarah]

No.

[Melinda Fisher]

No.

[Sarah]

We found that out. Then we took dad out the other day.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Sarah's dad showed them the messages he'd been exchanging with someone from the cult's Telegram channel who had sent him photo evidence.

[Sarah's Husband]

They share photos. And we did a reverse search on the photo. It was from the movie Prometheus. Yeah, I guess they're just taking actual science fiction films.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Someone had been sending him images ripped from Prometheus, the fifth movie in the Alien franchise.

[Sarah]

But we told him that it's not real. That would be nice. Like, we. We flattered him, but it's not a real thing. It's just fiction. We didn't know he was so serious about them.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

He is serious. Even considering stopping his chemo treatments.

[Sarah]

He told me he doesn't want to do it anymore.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

I'm like, God, Really?

[Sarah]

I think I know why.

[Melinda Fisher]

Why?

[Sarah]

Because of the med beds. He believes this so much, and it just breaks my Heart.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Sarah and her husband were getting increasingly worried. They decided to move their family to Richmond to help him out. But then they learn something that makes them worry on another level. Sarah's dad tells them that he's been donating to Queen Romana to secure his spot in a med bed.

[Sarah]

He says everyone does donations. They don't take anyone's money. It's all donations. Yeah, but still, you have a pensioner who can barely has just enough to afford his living. Why would you take his donation for a thing that doesn't exist? It's to get his spot for the med bed. It's ugly. I couldn't sleep last night. It bugged me so much.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

When I think about the forces that pull people into conspiracy theories, Fear, hate, Facebook algorithms, those things feel at least possible to combat. But hope and health? I really don't know what a daughter in Sarah's position should do. And the woman Sarah doesn't want to name the friend her dad has made in town who continues to bring him to Romana. I'm pretty sure I know who she's talking about. With the Richmond mayoral election finally here, locals like her dad's friend are willing to do just about anything to win. Even if that means siding with the cult over their own neighbors or their own family. I'm Rachel Brown and this is the Cult Queen of Canada from CBC's Uncover. Episode 5 Election Day. I'm back in Richmond with my producer Pippa to cover the election between Brad Miller and Jody Smith. Brad is the current mayor running for re election who has been working tirelessly to get the cult out of Richmond. And his challenger is Jody Smith. Jody sees himself as the neutral option and thinks the opposition to the cult has gone too far. So in a way, this election is between the seniors and the so called elites. Some might even say it's the the town versus the cult. Our plan is to stake out the polls and check in with both sides as the votes roll in. Voting has been on for all of five minutes when the doors of the polling station crash open. Don't feel bad, Bill.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

I got objected to two and I've lived in town for 50 years.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Two locals come out already in a tense conversation. They stand on either side of our car glaring at each other.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

But. But, but what's Bill?

[Melinda Fisher]

Because somebody else started it.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Brad's running mate Jig is squaring off against Bill, a friend of Jody Smith's, over who should be allowed to vote in Richmond.

[Melinda Fisher]

Did you know that my wife walked

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

in here and got objected to?

[Melinda Fisher]

Then Jody Smith got objected to.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

That's why you got objected to for no other reason, Jake. But Bill, you don't use your hand,

[Local Resident/Community Member]

you don't live in town.

[Melinda Fisher]

I have a fucking lot.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Bill and Jig are fighting because both of their votes have been objected to. Brad was told that if the cult was going to show up to cast their ballots today, he would have to object in case he wanted to later contest their votes. But Brad has really been going for it. And so in turn, Jody's team serves it right back to him. Tit for tat, jig for Bill.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

You got a piece of dirt so you could come and vote.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We all know, nothing to do with voting.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Two sides of the battle for Richmond. Jig representing the so called elites, the anti cult side, and Bill standing in for the seniors who are more sympathetic to the presence of the cult. After the fight, Jig stays by our car for another moment to debrief.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

And again, here's small town stuff. Yeah, Bill, Bill's son is married to my wife's sister.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

In a way, these men are extended family. But since the cult arrived, that familial bond has been torn apart. As we're talking, a vehicle pulls up and parks inside. The driver stares daggers at me from behind her cat eye glasses. It's Melinda Fisher. As you might remember, it took a long time to get Melinda to talk to me, but once she did, she really talked.

[Melinda Fisher]

I'll show you how corrupt the town is.

[Sarah]

Really.

[Melinda Fisher]

These people here in the school are mild. They're nothing compared to what the village is.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

But then I published a feature article for the Walrus magazine about the story and suddenly she stopped talking to me. I hadn't been able to get a hold of her in months. Then just as we were driving into town to cover the election, I got a text. So I just got a message from Melinda that says, too bad. Used your own article for your narrative. You burnt your bridges here so long. Well, I guess that's the end of my relationship with Melinda. Though she hadn't been responding to me for a long time, so. And now here she is and we're locked in a staring contest. She's looking at us. I'm not looking away. It's kind of like a game of chicken. She's looking right at us. She's been looking at us like straight for a long time. She's got somebody with her. Right beside her is an older man. He gets out of the car with a cane. Melinda comes around and supports his arm as they walk towards the Poles. Jake tells us he's a local and is quite sick, so she would have

[Local Resident/Community Member]

went to get him so that he could vote. I doubt he'll ever be back here again from like he's got cancer and

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

he's not in very good shape. An older guy with cancer. With Melinda, it suddenly dawns on us who this is. Sarah's dad, one of Queen Romana's followers.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

Why drag somebody out here that is in that shape just to get a vote?

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

We watch as Melinda and this frail man make their way to the polls. She's successfully adding one voter to the Jody Smith side. But will her larger plan work? Will any of the 12 cult members she added to her land title actually vote? I felt a mild underlying tension in Richmond the first time I visited today. It's ramped up, way up. Jig feels it too.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

I feel it just driving in here today. I feel it. Bill coming, walking.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Okay, door.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

You know, I feel Melinda sitting in the vehicle staring at you. You know, it's just everybody's eyes are on you.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It's not unusual for Richmond to feel surveilled with the cult security patrolling the grounds and filming everyone walking by. But today I look over and the school grounds are mysteriously empty. And not only that, they've put up these huge tents on top of the school. On a recent broadcast from the cult, they'd been talking about preparing for a natural disaster like the massive floods that had just hit Spain that fall.

[Melinda Fisher]

If you see water coming from underground,

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

move to higher ground immediately. This seems unlikely in Saskatchewan in the winter. I wonder if they're inside the tents watching the town surveilling the polling station, deciding when to make their move. After the drama this morning at the polls, I go check in with Jody Smith. My last question, how certain are you that you'll win?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Fairly certain. I've done the tally and I think pretty sure I'm going to win. Not by a big margin, though. I don't know if there'd be 10 votes between us. So it's going to come down to at getting every vote out.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Jody has set up a war room in a little industrial building on the edge of town where he and the other seniors gather for coffee every morning. Signs on the walls say things like, sorry for calling you stupid. I thought you knew. And there's an industrial sized coffee urn brewing all day.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Thank you very much, Peter.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It's 11:00am and already Jody's on the phone calling undecided voters. He actually got his phone for this express purpose he'd Never even had a cell phone before.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I realized, if I'm going to do

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

this job, you got to be reachable.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Text and talk only. No data.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It's a dumb phone.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It's a dumb phone.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And he tells me he's managed to pull a few voters over to his side and even convince a few locals to vote who had never voted before.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

He says he can't vote for Brian Miller.

[Melinda Fisher]

Brad Miller.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Brad Miller. I'm sorry. You know, so that's one I wasn't guaranteed on, that's for sure.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Jody says his campaign promise to focus on Richmond's problems and leave the cult alone is resonating with voters.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

This town is in turmoil. The coming of the Queen was a catalyst for a lot of it. But I think we can see our way through it so that we can at least talk to each other, at least look at each other, instead of going on to Facebook and doing a big rant and saying, you're friends with the queen or you're this or you're that.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Already today, both sides are slinging insults on the local Facebook group, the Richmond and Area Scoop. If elected, what will you do, if anything, regarding the presence of the Queen?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Very little, because the money has been spent trying to evict her and there's really no legal way of doing it. I don't want to give her any more importance or status than she deserves. If you're going to rant and rave, she's won.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Jody's new phone is blowing up with updates throughout the day.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

25 for Miller, 35 for us. Six unknown.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

If Jody's tally is right, he is way ahead in the polls. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Mayor Brad today because he's inside the polling station serving as his own scrutineer. We've been talking since he decided, reluctantly, to run for a second term, and he's been feeling the support from his constituents. He read me a text he got a week before the election.

[Sarah's Husband]

I hope and pray our community will continue with your leadership. If it goes right in town, we will heal all together and make Richmond great again. Borrowed that from the last few words. Thanks again from Trump. I borrowed it. Then he laughed because he knows. Whatever.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

The day before the election, Richmond had a community event, a pierogi lunch, and Brad felt even more bolstered. He seemed to be more motivated and optimistic than ever.

[Sarah's Husband]

I think this town can change and heal within a day or two. I'm not kidding. That's how great it'll be.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

So you're you're feeling pretty confident then that you?

[Sarah's Husband]

Oh, yeah. If everybody gets out and vote, I think we have no problem.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

But now it's 1:00pm on election day. Brad's been in the polls for hours and I sense some nerves. Okay, so Brad. I texted Brad and I said, how's everything going in there? And he said, good, so far. I have a heartbeat.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Eat.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And I said, stress. Brad replies, yeah, you wouldn't think you should be stressed, but yes, I sure am. And I said, oh dear, it's a lot. And he said, I guess I have something to lose. Whereas the others running don't. Brad is realizing it seems for the first time that he could lose this thing. A check in with his number one ally against the cult, Sha Sane. She's been running around town as always, helping people vote and staying in the mix. I catch her at home on a brief break and there's a lot of people who are tired. And you, you're tireless.

[Melinda Fisher]

No, I'm tired.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Well, you seem tireless, but I can imagine you're probably just emotionally and physically.

[Melinda Fisher]

I am. I'm so sick of this. I hate it. I keep saying our community is never going to recover from this. You don't think so? I don't. I don't think so. I mean, yes, there's. Is there a little snippet of hope? Yeah, but I'm pretty worried that we're not going to.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Despite all the drama, there are still undecided voters. Do you know who you're going to vote for? For May or.

[Melinda Fisher]

Nope.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Roxanne runs Brown Bear Grocery. Richmond's convenience store, slash liquor store, slash post office. Are you going to vote?

[Melinda Fisher]

It's hard to pick a group.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Well, you don't want to pick sides.

[Melinda Fisher]

No, but this town is so divided, it'll never. No matter what government we get in here, they'll still be fighting.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

No matter what government we get in here, she said they'll still be fighting. She's lived in this town for a long time, and a lot of the people on Jody's side, Jody himself, Melinda and other friends of theirs are all pretty new to town. As she thinks about who she wants to vote for, she considers who has really made an effort for the community.

[Melinda Fisher]

Between me and.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Yeah, there was that lunch she's talking about the pierogi lunch the town hosted the day before. Everyone was invited.

[Melinda Fisher]

The guy that's running for mayor against our mayor right now, they didn't go for lunch.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

What does it mean that he didn't come?

[Melinda Fisher]

To some people, it means that he's not part of our town. He doesn't want to support different functions and stuff like that.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Gatherings?

[Melinda Fisher]

Yeah.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Roxanne is talking about Jody. I head to his war room to check in with him. It's 4pm now and the polls close at 8. Four hours to go. As soon as we arrive, Jody gives us an update on his tabulations. He thinks the race has tightened up since we last checked in.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

31, Miller, 37, us six unknown. We're only six votes ahead now. We were eight votes ahead before. This thing is going to settle about eight votes apart, I think.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Still no sign of the Queen or the other cult members at the polls. Those 12 votes could make all the difference. I asked Jody about the pierogi lunch. Roxanne tells me he skipped.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I didn't go because there's a bunch of people that really don't like me, some that do like me. And I thought, well, I'm not in an official position yet. I'm not a mayor, so I don't have to go as a citizen. I didn't get a warm, fuzzy feeling when I went to some of these things, so why go? If I was mayor, I would go, okay, I'm coming in. You know, plug your nose plug, hold your nose and go in.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It strikes me that while Jody says he wants to lead this community, he doesn't seem to want to spend time with it. Brad and his wife have invited everyone to join them for a community fire in the park to bring the town together, regardless of the election's result.

[Melinda Fisher]

We did it, too.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It's 5pm now, only three hours left in the polls. I head to the park to check in with Brad's supporters as they get the fire set up.

[Melinda Fisher]

Just so you don't get.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

But as I pull in, I see them standing on picnic tables pulling posters down from the rafters of the covered area.

[Melinda Fisher]

Wow. I can't believe they did that.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Brad's wife, Arlene, shows us what they're pulling down. Posters of Brad, but they're not the ones printed by Brad. These are posters making fun of Brad's campaign materials. On Brad's real poster, it said committed to transparency. But here beside Brad's smiling headshot, it says election tampering 101. They believe Melinda is behind these posters.

[Melinda Fisher]

We spent hours to make them all nice and with Brad's views on the side.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

But she defamed them, so I'm just

[Melinda Fisher]

gonna throw them in the fire.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

We all watch as the posters burn. Not the start to the healing event they'd been hoping for. It's 6pm now, two hours left at the polls and still no sign of the cult. We do a final check in at Jody's war room. The room has filled up and everyone seems tense.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

They just had a whole bunch of people come in. So right now they have 42 and we have 37. Six unknown. They have approximately two votes left. Left to come on my list that could possibly be theirs. And we still have 14 to come.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

That healthy lead they'd been sure of all day has slipped right through their fingers. Jody looks shaken. Then Melinda enters. She doesn't look at me, but sits at the other end of the table across from my producer Pippa. I text Pippa under the table. You talk to Melinda. Okay.

[Melinda Fisher]

Wait, what are you making? Clami.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It's a clami.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

What is it?

[Melinda Fisher]

Clado juice and beer mixed together.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

As she drinks what might be the most Canadian cocktail ever. She's busy typing on her phone.

[Melinda Fisher]

Are you getting the vote out on your phone? Yeah, no, I do the memes. I'm Search Queen and then I'm also the meme queen.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Like for instance, can you show me your artwork?

[Melinda Fisher]

Okay.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

She turns her phone around and shows the poster we just saw. Brad's supporters ripping down at the fire pit. Election tampering for dummies. Everyone in Jody's war room is very aware of the clock, which now reads 7pm only one hour left before the polls close and the numbers aren't going Jody's way. Tom Tuckshire, the ex mayor and Jody's right hand man, makes a phone call. He has a quiet conversation and then I see him hang up.

[Melinda Fisher]

Who is that?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Rick, Man.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

What did you say?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Need.

[Sarah's Husband]

Need a couple more votes.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It's time to call the queen.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Tom said it's time to call the queen.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is heating here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time. Scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Has the news been getting you down? I'm Megan McCardell and I'm here to help. I'm the host of a new show from Washington Post Opinion. I'm called reasonably optimistic. And it's an antidote to the pessimism that's riddling America right now. Every Wednesday, I'm going to talk to people who see a path forward.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It does seem to me that there is some awakening of a desire to act together to solve problems where they are.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

You know, I am a believer in America and it's worth fighting for. Join me Wednesdays on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm standing outside the Richmond Community center and the votes are being tallied. Next to me is Brad's wife, Arlene. It's pitch blackout and freezing cold. We aren't allowed inside the building, so we're all peering through the front windows, shivering. Some of Brad's supporters crack jokes about what could happen if the vote doesn't go their way.

[Melinda Fisher]

Oh my goodness. We're going to see storm the the Capitol.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

We stormed the Capitol. Brad and Jody sit at a table facing away from the window and toward the elections officer who is counting each ballot by hand. She holds up each ballot for the candidates to see. We can't hear anything, so we resort to reading body language. Brad's wife decodes.

[Melinda Fisher]

He's laughing. He. Oh, he's stretching.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

It's a weird face on Brad's face. Yeah.

[Melinda Fisher]

What do you mean it's weird?

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

I don't know.

[Melinda Fisher]

Not pouting, just maybe he's trying to be nonchalant. We should have had a secret code or something.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

After a few more minutes, the vote count finishes. The candidates stand up.

[Melinda Fisher]

You can't really tell if Brad looks happy or not. He looks serious. Yeah.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Brad and Jody shake hands, exchange a few words. They exit in silence, both wearing poker faces. Jody walks over to the crowd of reporters.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Brad and Wade were reelected.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Jody lost. Brad has won. And it's awkward. Clearly something went down behind the glass. Jody walks to his car, stone faced and defeated as Brad gives us the final count.

[Sarah's Husband]

60 for me, 42 for him, nine more than I thought.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

He expected a stronger lead over Jody and he explains the tense conversation he had with Jody right after the result.

[Sarah's Husband]

We are called out right away. You gotta make this town better. And there was some bad stuff said, blah, blah, blah.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It just.

[Sarah's Husband]

It'll never end. Whatever.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

That's Jody revving his engine and he drives off. This is not the celebratory moment I was expecting. But then we hear as Brad's supporters get the news. Brad's mood immediately lifts. His win is starting to sink in. How's your heart doing now?

[Sarah's Husband]

Good. I'm relieved. I'm Going fishing tomorrow. I'm going to go down and have a beer here. Hopefully you guys all come over.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

We set off for the fire, hearing Brad's supporters cheering from blocks away. Meanwhile, Jody supporters are still in his war room on the edge of town, still in the dark about the results. My producer Pippa is there recording Jody's supporters. Jody parks on the gravel and gets out of his car. He walks towards the building slowly, his head down. Someone swings the door open and the room goes silent as he approaches.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Final count. Miller 60. Me 42. And I just lost all hope for the future.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And Jody tells the group his version of the conversation he had with Brad after the result.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I offered Brad, I said, Brad, I hope you can bring these people together. Yeah. And he said, there's only one. You're it.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Jody points at Melinda Fisher, who finds this very funny.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You're the sole problem in this town. And I said, I got 42 votes. What about the other 40? Some people. Yes. No, there's no other problem other than Melinda.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

The room is an uproar. Fuck sakes.

[Melinda Fisher]

I think we need to object because

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I think some of the people maybe that we thought were voting for him. Yeah, we gotta try.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

How do you feel?

[Melinda Fisher]

Pissed off. Really pissed off. Because there's people that said they were voting for Jody that clearly didn't. They lied.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

They expected a tight race with a Jody win, then he lost by 18 votes. So something definitely went wrong in their polling. But it's all also possible they were banking on 12 voters that never showed up. Queen Romana and her followers. That would have made the race close enough to recount, maybe even contest. But even after Jody's team called Ricky for help, the cult stayed put in the school.

[Melinda Fisher]

Oh fuck.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

If they come in.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

If those calls would have came, done. If they would have come, there wouldn't even be a.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

The Queen of Canada doesn't vote in a little village. She's the queen.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Don't vote anyway. They don't believe in that.

[Melinda Fisher]

That's what I mean.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

My producer Pippa sits with Melinda, who chimes in. Did you guys ever feel tempted to

[Sarah's Husband]

like first had Alex?

[Melinda Fisher]

I did ask. I asked Queen Ramon if she would consider voting to ensure that Jody would get in because they do not have any use for bad milk.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

She actually went to the school to plead her case.

[Melinda Fisher]

I just basically said we. We really need to get Brad out. We need to change the government. Well, it's illegal to vote and zero politics, zero religion.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Melinda is quoting one of Queen Romana's slogans. Zero politics, zero religion.

[Melinda Fisher]

And then she threw at me, well, who do you want me to save? The country or the world or Richmond?

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

That's it. Melinda risked a lot to give the cult voting rights, putting them on the title to her land and making real enemies of her neighbors. So do you feel let down by this?

[Melinda Fisher]

Absolutely, I do. I feel very let down. I think I'm gonna keep my distance. Yeah, I think they'll get the message. I'm not going to be so. So willing to help him.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Says she's going to keep her distance from the cult now, but she says she'll keep them on the title to her lot, the one right in the middle of town.

[Melinda Fisher]

It still will be a thorn in Brad's thigh because it just makes them permanent residents here. I will never sell that lot. It will always be mine.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

And she says she's not going anywhere.

[Melinda Fisher]

Honestly, they're going to have to kill me to get rid of me.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

I head over to the fire at Heritage park, where a couple dozen people have gathered to celebrate Brad's win. And the party is on. I'll do it again. We could hear the cheers from the building. So I was like, I'm running together. And then I went down the road. Wrong street. The fire is roaring and everyone's getting a little tipsy. I've never seen Richmound come together like this. Is everyone relieved?

[Melinda Fisher]

Happy? Happy?

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Yes.

[Melinda Fisher]

These are our people. This is.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

This.

[Melinda Fisher]

Going to cry. You're going to cry. I am. I'm the crier. Cry, cuz you're going to cry and then I'm going to cry. We're all going to cry.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Brad and his wife Arlene walk up to the fire, arm in arm.

[Melinda Fisher]

Here he comes.

[Sarah's Husband]

Thank you for all coming out and voting. I think we broke a record probably across the world. Probably four people didn't vote in Richmond.

[Melinda Fisher]

That was.

[Sarah's Husband]

We're gonna go forward and we're gonna make it positive and we're gonna try to put the you back in Richmond.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Yes.

[Melinda Fisher]

First things first. How about a kiss for the real queen?

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Yeah. Brad kisses Arlene.

[Sarah's Husband]

So, like I said, I appreciate you guys. Up to the sky, down to the ground.

[Melinda Fisher]

We appreciate you. We love you. Thank you for standing up for us and fighting the good fight.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Thank you, Brad. I noticed that school teacher Shana Sane is smiling ear to ear. I've never seen her so happy. Hi, Sha.

[Melinda Fisher]

How are you feeling? I'm just. I'm so excited. I'm so relieved.

[Sarah]

Yay.

[Melinda Fisher]

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat. Woo.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Shawna says this will reinvigorate her and Brad's mission of getting Queen Romana and the culture gone.

[Melinda Fisher]

How could he not have felt beaten down over the last year in not feeling like we had anything to signify accomplishment of working against this evil force, this evil, illegitimate and fake force? So this, yeah, this is a huge step.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

The anti cult side had won the election, but once the fire had died down and the hangovers had worn off, it was clear that not much had changed. The town was still divided and Queen Romana and her cult were still bunkered down in the school. It would take something much bigger, something much more serious than an election to finally get them out for good.

[Melinda Fisher]

We have a warrant. They have a warrant. For what? What kind of warrant that they have? Leave the phone down.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You're under arrest. Down on the ground.

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

That's next time on the conclusion of the Cult Queen of Canada.

[Melinda Fisher]

Foreign

[Rachel Brown (Host)]

Tune in next week for an all new episode of the Cult Queen of Canada. Or you can listen ahead to the full series now by subscribing to CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts or by subscribing to the CBC True Crime channel on YouTube. Links in the Description the Cult Queen of Canada is a production of New Metric Media and News Entertainment for CBC Podcasts. The show is hosted by me, Rachel Brown. It's written and produced by Pippa Johnstone and Rachel Brown. The series producer is Chris Kelly. Sound design and original music by Mark Angley. Our senior producer is Jeff Turner. Our digital producer is Emily Kinnell. The series was developed by Chris Kelly, Courtney Dobbins and Rachel Brown for New Metric Media. The executive producer is Mark Montefiore. The vice presidents of podcasts are Chris Kelly and Pat Kelly. For Muse Entertainment, the executive producers are Courtney Dobbins and Jonas Pruppis. For cbc, the executive producers are Cecil Fernandez and Chris Oak. Tanya Springer is the senior manager and Arif Narrani is the director of CBC Podcasts. If you're enjoying this show, consider checking out another series from cbc. I really enjoyed one called Sea of Lies. In this series, host Sam Mullins guides us through the case of a con man who couldn't stop lying. It's a story about stolen identities, fine art, a diaper stuffed with gold bars, and a crime solved by a Rolex watch. You can find it along with all other CBC podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. For more cbc podcasts, go to cbc ca podcasts.