Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 26
After obtaining funding from the Montreal Jewish Community in April 1980 a full-time center
called the Cult Project was started. Its objectives were:
1. To prepare young people in particular to anticipate the techniques and practices of
cult recruitment.
2. To create amongst young people, parents, parent groups, professional and
community institutions, a consciousness to the ramification of membership in cults.
3. To reveal to the public the duplicity of cult propaganda, the hidden aims of various
cult groups and the damaging influences they can exert upon individuals, the family
and society.
4. To assist families who are affected by this problem.
5. To aid and assist ex-members of cults in their reintegration into society.
6. To develop a resource center of information in English and French on the subject.
This information to be available to the public.
7. To continue using volunteers as a resource to pursue our goal of educating the
public. This volunteer group which consists of parents who have been affected by
this problem and ex-members to also serve as a self-help group to assist others with
the same problem.
The center‘s contention was that not all cults were problematic hence, a distinction
between ―cults‖ and ―destructive cults‖ was made.
The center‘s activities included providing information programs to high schools, colleges,
universities, community centers, and professional organizations principally in and around
the Montreal region. These programs were geared towards sensitizing and educating the
community to the issue of destructive cults and the techniques of mind control.
A documentation center was made available to the public containing books, newspaper and
journal articles, and audio-visual materials. In the beginning, information focused on the
experiences of families and ex-members. However, it soon became apparent that the
collection must be diversified to include other perspectives.
During the first ten years, the majority of our clients were parents of cult members, ex-
members, students, and teachers. Contact with groups perceived as ―cults‖, ―destructive
cults‖, or those with opposing points of view was minimal.
During this period, funding for operating costs and specific projects was obtained from the
Montreal Jewish Community, different grants from the provincial and federal governments,
and individual donations.
In 1990 the Cult Project changed its name to Info-Cult (―Info-Secte‖ in French), moved out
of the structure of the Montreal Jewish Community, and became an independent non-
denominational, bilingual center run by a board of directors.
The objectives of Info-Cult are:
1. To promote the study of cultic phenomena
2. To sensitize, inform and educate the public to these phenomena
3. To assist those with problems related to these phenomena.
(Original in French: Règlement No. 1990-C 1) Promouvoir l‘étude des phénomènes
sectaires 2) Sensibiliser, informer et éduquer la population à ces phénomènes 3) Assister
les personnes vivant des difficultés reliées à ces phénomènes.)
After obtaining funding from the Montreal Jewish Community in April 1980 a full-time center
called the Cult Project was started. Its objectives were:
1. To prepare young people in particular to anticipate the techniques and practices of
cult recruitment.
2. To create amongst young people, parents, parent groups, professional and
community institutions, a consciousness to the ramification of membership in cults.
3. To reveal to the public the duplicity of cult propaganda, the hidden aims of various
cult groups and the damaging influences they can exert upon individuals, the family
and society.
4. To assist families who are affected by this problem.
5. To aid and assist ex-members of cults in their reintegration into society.
6. To develop a resource center of information in English and French on the subject.
This information to be available to the public.
7. To continue using volunteers as a resource to pursue our goal of educating the
public. This volunteer group which consists of parents who have been affected by
this problem and ex-members to also serve as a self-help group to assist others with
the same problem.
The center‘s contention was that not all cults were problematic hence, a distinction
between ―cults‖ and ―destructive cults‖ was made.
The center‘s activities included providing information programs to high schools, colleges,
universities, community centers, and professional organizations principally in and around
the Montreal region. These programs were geared towards sensitizing and educating the
community to the issue of destructive cults and the techniques of mind control.
A documentation center was made available to the public containing books, newspaper and
journal articles, and audio-visual materials. In the beginning, information focused on the
experiences of families and ex-members. However, it soon became apparent that the
collection must be diversified to include other perspectives.
During the first ten years, the majority of our clients were parents of cult members, ex-
members, students, and teachers. Contact with groups perceived as ―cults‖, ―destructive
cults‖, or those with opposing points of view was minimal.
During this period, funding for operating costs and specific projects was obtained from the
Montreal Jewish Community, different grants from the provincial and federal governments,
and individual donations.
In 1990 the Cult Project changed its name to Info-Cult (―Info-Secte‖ in French), moved out
of the structure of the Montreal Jewish Community, and became an independent non-
denominational, bilingual center run by a board of directors.
The objectives of Info-Cult are:
1. To promote the study of cultic phenomena
2. To sensitize, inform and educate the public to these phenomena
3. To assist those with problems related to these phenomena.
(Original in French: Règlement No. 1990-C 1) Promouvoir l‘étude des phénomènes
sectaires 2) Sensibiliser, informer et éduquer la population à ces phénomènes 3) Assister
les personnes vivant des difficultés reliées à ces phénomènes.)
