Canadian police have found a mysterious tunnel near the venue for the 2015 Pan America Games which are slated to be held in Toronto this summer. Toronto Police Deputy Chief told reporters the tunnel measured more than 6 feet in height, easily tall enough for someone to stand in comfortably, and stretched about 33 feet in length. Authorities say the tunnel, which was located about 10 feet underground, was professionally constructed with wooden supports and a ladder leading down to the chamber.
The sophisticated tunnel was discovered by accident by a conservation officer last month who noticed a large piece of aluminum sheeting in a field. When she lifted the sheet, she discovered the tunnel entrance (a wooden lid covered with dirt). The tunnel was equipped with electricity supplied by a portable generator, a sump pump to remove water, and an elaborate pulley system to assist with dirt removal. Inside the tunnel, police found a gas can, food and beverage containers, work gloves, a wheelbarrow, and moisture-resistant light bulbs. Although police found the tunnel last month, they only disclosed its discovery yesterday.
The tunnel was located about 82 feet west of a fence that separated a densely wooded area from the tennis courts at Rexall Centre. The only clue police have at this point is a rosary with a Remembrance Day poppy hung from a nail on the tunnel wall (Remembrance Day is a Canadian celebratory day honoring Canadian veterans who died in combat).
Surprisingly, police say there is nothing to suggest this is a criminal act and say they are not worried about a terrorist attack.
“We’re trying to find and establish right now who built it, why they built it and what their intentions were. There is no criminal offense for digging a hole.”