Discover Canada's hidden history of political internment, the PROFUNC plan, and how Cold War paranoia led to the surveillance and targeting of innocent citizens.
Canada’s Secret Internment Plan: A Chilling History of Repression
For decades, most Canadians had no idea that their government had developed a secret plan to arrest and detain thousands of its own citizens — people who had committed no crime, but were seen as a threat based on their political beliefs or associations.
The Fifth Estate’s powerful investigation, Enemies of the State, sheds light on the covert project known as PROFUNC (Prominent Functionaries), a Cold War-era initiative designed to detain political “subversives” in the event of national emergency. These lists — detailed and alarming — included community leaders, union organizers, academics, and even entire families.
Watch the Full Fifth Estate Series
- Watch Part 1
- Watch Part 2
- Watch Part 3
- Synopsis of ‘Enemies of the State’
According to the documentary, RCMP and Canadian military personnel were instructed to round up and detain individuals on these lists. Shockingly, children and spouses were often targeted alongside them. The 66,000 names cited in PROFUNC files reveal a chilling scope of government surveillance.
- Historian Uncovers Canadian Prison Camps
- See Page 78 of the PROFUNC Document
- PROFUNC Included Toronto Landmark
This secret policy lasted into the 1980s — long after Cold War tensions had eased. Many only recently discovered they were on those lists.
But this isn’t the only dark chapter in Canada’s past. The residential school system, described by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as an act of genocide, also affected more than 100,000 Indigenous children — many of whom never returned home.
- Residential Schools in Canada: Genocide Report
- At Least 3,000 Residential School Deaths
- More Indigenous Children in Foster Care Today Than in 1949
Canada’s pattern of mass incarceration extended into more recent events like the Toronto G20 summit, where over 1,100 people were arrested, yet only 24 were convicted.
- Temporary G20 Prison “Torontamino Bay”
To better understand Canada’s historical and ongoing repression tactics, we must confront the truth. This includes recognizing Jewish and Japanese internment camps during World War II and systemic abuses that continue under new names.
- Jewish Internment Camps in Canada
- Japanese Internment Camps in Canada
- List of WWII POW Camps in Canada
Want to know if you were listed in the PROFUNC files?
- Check the CBC’s Guide Here
This hidden history is a reminder: freedom can be fragile, even in nations that claim to champion it.
References and Further Reading
- HMONGSANDNATIVEAMERICANS.COM
- Hmongs & Native Americans
- Occupy Canada - From the CBC’s Fifth Estate, Canada’s recent history of political repression under the guise of “security” – Canadian Government’s Secret Plan To Lock Up Thousands of Canadians> bit.ly.
