PROFUNC
Encyclopedia
PROFUNC which stands for "PROminent FUNCtionaries of the communist party
", was a Government of Canada
top secret
plan to identify and intern
Canadian communists
and crypto-communists
during the height of the Cold War
.
occurring in Canada, which was a main contributor to starting the Cold War
and the threat of the Korean War
becoming the precursor for the Third World War
, the Government of Canada in 1950 determined a need to create the PROFUNC blacklist
.
In the 1950s, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) Commissioner Stuart Taylor Wood
, had a PROFUNC list of approximately 16,000 suspected communists and 50,000 communist sympathizers to be observed and potentially interned
, in a national security
state of emergency
, such as a Third World War crisis
with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR) and Red China
.
A separate arrest document, known formally as a C-215 form, was written up for each potential internee and updated regularly with personal information, including but not limited to, age
, description
s, photograph
s, vehicle
information, until the 1980s. In addition, more obscure information, such as, potential escape routes from the individuals personal residence were noted. Several prominent Canadians are suspected of being on the PROFUNC list including: Winnipeg alderman
Jacob Penner
, Roland Penner
and Tommy Douglas
.
It is suspected that the PROFUNC blacklist was used to increase the number of people detained as Front de libération du Québec
(FLQ) suspects during the 1970 October Crisis
, in contravention of the presumption of innocence
, many of whom had no affiliation with the FLQ.
The Canadian Penitentiary Service
received an updated PROFUNC list from the RCMP in 1971 to make them aware of the number of potential internees.
In the early 1980s, the then Toronto
Liberal
Member of Parliament and Solicitor General of Canada
, Bob Kaplan
, caused PROFUNC to become defunct by introducing administrative changes entailing the RCMP to discontinue whatever was contributing to superannuated communists encountering problems while attempting to cross the Canada – United States border. Kaplan claims to have had no knowledge of PROFUNC until advised of it by journalist
s in 2010 and that he was dismayed by its existence, "I just can’t believe it had any government authorization behind it", said Kaplan.
, a country club
in Port Arthur, Ontario
and Regina Exhibition Park
then they would be transferred to penitentiaries
. The men would be interned across Canada
, the women would be interned in one of two facilities in the Niagara Peninsula
or Kelowna
and the children would be sent to relatives or interned with their parent
s. Strict punishment regulations awaited the internees if they broke the rules, including being held indefinitely and shot
when caught while attempting a prison escape
.
's The Fifth Estate
and Enquête
. It was not until 2010 that some Canadians, their family and friends learned for the first time that they were deemed a potential enemy of the state
by the Government of Canada and law enforcement in Canada. Canadians who want to determine if they or someone else were in the PROFUNC files can make a disclosure request to the Federal Government of Canada through the Privacy Act or the Access to Information Act
.
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
", was a Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
top secret
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
plan to identify and intern
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
Canadian communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and crypto-communists
Crypto-communism
Crypto-communism is a pejorative term implying a secret support for, or admiration of, communism. The term is used to imply that an individual or group keeps this support or admiration hidden to avoid political persecution or political suicide.- See also :...
during the height of the Cold War
Canada in the Cold War
Canada played a middle power, and occasionally an important, role in the Cold War. Throughout the US/Soviet rivalry, Canada was normally on the side of the United States...
.
History
With the 1945 Gouzenko AffairKellock–Taschereau Commission
The Royal Commission to Investigate the Facts Relating to and the Circumstances Surrounding the Communication, by Public Officials and Other Persons in Positions of Trust, of Secret and Confidential Information to Agents of a Foreign Power, more popularly known as the Kellock–Taschereau Commission...
occurring in Canada, which was a main contributor to starting the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the threat of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
becoming the precursor for the Third World War
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
, the Government of Canada in 1950 determined a need to create the PROFUNC blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
.
In the 1950s, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) Commissioner Stuart Taylor Wood
Stuart Wood
Stuart Taylor Wood, CMG served as the ninth Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, from March 6, 1938 to April 30, 1951.-Early life and career:...
, had a PROFUNC list of approximately 16,000 suspected communists and 50,000 communist sympathizers to be observed and potentially interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
, in a national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
, such as a Third World War crisis
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(USSR) and Red China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
A separate arrest document, known formally as a C-215 form, was written up for each potential internee and updated regularly with personal information, including but not limited to, age
Age
Age may refer to:* Age , an aspect of mathematical model theory* Age , an international peer-reviewed journal operated by Springer.* The Age, a daily newspaper published in Melbourne, Australia* Agé, a god* Åge, a given name...
, description
Description
Description is one of four rhetorical modes , along with exposition, argumentation, and narration. Each of the rhetorical modes is present in a variety of forms and each has its own purpose and conventions....
s, photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s, vehicle
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
information, until the 1980s. In addition, more obscure information, such as, potential escape routes from the individuals personal residence were noted. Several prominent Canadians are suspected of being on the PROFUNC list including: Winnipeg alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
Jacob Penner
Jacob Penner
Jacob Penner was a popular socialist politician in Canada. Penner was born and raised in a Mennonite family in Russia and emigrated to Winnipeg in 1904. In 1908, he met his wife Rose Shapack, a Jewish Russian immigrant, during an address by Emma Goldman at the Winnipeg Radical Club...
, Roland Penner
Roland Penner
Roland Penner was Dean of Law at the University of Manitoba and a is a former politician and Manitoba Cabinet minister.Penner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Winnipeg alderman Jacob Penner...
and Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
.
It is suspected that the PROFUNC blacklist was used to increase the number of people detained as Front de libération du Québec
Front de libération du Québec
The Front de libération du Québec was a left-wing Quebecois nationalist and Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group in Quebec, Canada. It was active between 1963 and 1970, and was regarded as a terrorist organization for its violent methods of action...
(FLQ) suspects during the 1970 October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
, in contravention of the presumption of innocence
Presumption of innocence
The presumption of innocence, sometimes referred to by the Latin expression Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat, is the principle that one is considered innocent until proven guilty. Application of this principle is a legal right of the accused in a criminal trial, recognised in many...
, many of whom had no affiliation with the FLQ.
The Canadian Penitentiary Service
Correctional Service of Canada
The Correctional Service of Canada , or CSC, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted criminal offenders sentenced to two years or more...
received an updated PROFUNC list from the RCMP in 1971 to make them aware of the number of potential internees.
In the early 1980s, the then Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament and Solicitor General of Canada
Solicitor General of Canada
The Solicitor General of Canada was a position in the Canadian ministry from 1892 to 2005. The position was based on the Solicitor General in the British system and was originally designated as an officer to assist the Minister of Justice...
, Bob Kaplan
Bob Kaplan
Robert Philip "Bob" Kaplan, is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and lawyer.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Kaplan received a Bachelor of Arts in 1958 and an LL.B in 1961 from the University of Toronto...
, caused PROFUNC to become defunct by introducing administrative changes entailing the RCMP to discontinue whatever was contributing to superannuated communists encountering problems while attempting to cross the Canada – United States border. Kaplan claims to have had no knowledge of PROFUNC until advised of it by journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s in 2010 and that he was dismayed by its existence, "I just can’t believe it had any government authorization behind it", said Kaplan.
M-Day and internment
Mobilization Day (M-Day) was to be the day, in the event of a perceived national security crisis, police services would arrest and transport people noted on the PROFUNC list and temporarily detain them in reception centres across Canada including: Casa LomaCasa Loma
Casa Loma is a Gothic Revival style house in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a museum and landmark. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911–1914. The architect of the mansion was E. J...
, a country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
in Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
and Regina Exhibition Park
Regina Exhibition Park
Evraz Place, formerly Regina Exhibition Park, is an event site in the heart of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It holds entertainment, agri-business, sporting, recreational and cultural activities. Evraz Place has over half a million square feet of indoor space and close to one million square feet...
then they would be transferred to penitentiaries
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. The men would be interned across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the women would be interned in one of two facilities in the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
or Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
and the children would be sent to relatives or interned with their parent
Parent
A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child . Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child...
s. Strict punishment regulations awaited the internees if they broke the rules, including being held indefinitely and shot
Ballistic trauma
The term ballistic trauma refers to a form of physical trauma sustained from the discharge of arms or munitions. The most common forms of ballistic trauma stem from firearms used in armed conflicts, civilian sporting and recreational pursuits, and criminal activity.-Destructive effects:The degree...
when caught while attempting a prison escape
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
.
Aftermath
The existence of the program was revealed in a Jan. 24, 2000, news story by Dean Beeby of The Canadian Press. In October 2010, the PROFUNC plan was discussed at length in a television documentary by the Canadian Broadcasting CorporationCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's The Fifth Estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
and Enquête
Enquête
Enquête is a Canadian television newsmagazine series, which airs weekly on Radio-Canada and RDI. The show is anchored by Alain Gravel, and includes contributions from journalists Hélène Courchesne, Josée Dupuis, Sylvie Fournier, Guy Gendron, Normand Grondin, Solveig Miller, Madeleine Roy,...
. It was not until 2010 that some Canadians, their family and friends learned for the first time that they were deemed a potential enemy of the state
Enemy of the state
An enemy of the state is a person accused of certain crimes against the state, such as treason. Describing individuals in this way is sometimes a manifestation of political repression. For example, an authoritarian regime may purport to maintain national security by describing social or political...
by the Government of Canada and law enforcement in Canada. Canadians who want to determine if they or someone else were in the PROFUNC files can make a disclosure request to the Federal Government of Canada through the Privacy Act or the Access to Information Act
Access to Information Act
Access to Information Act or Information Act is a Canadian act providing the right of access to information under the control of a government institution...
.