Toronto's deputy police chief asked for the public's help Tuesday in determining who built a mysterious tunnel near a major sporting venue and a university in Toronto, and why.
A wildlife official was walking through woods near York University and the Rexall Center last month when he spotted a piece of corrugated metal on the ground, lifted it up and found a passageway.
Deputy police chief Mark Saunders said the tunnel was more than six feet (1.8 meters) high, almost three feet (0.9 meters) wide and about 33 feet (10 meters) long, and was hidden in a densely wooded area of the city, "well off the beaten path."
Had it continued, the tunnel would have exited on the other side of a hill overlooking nearby tennis courts and a sports facility that will host the Pan American Games in July.
The tunnel was reinforced with plywood and wood framing, and was equipped with a generator and sump pump.
The rosary and poppy (a symbol of remembrance for soldiers who died in World War I and subsequent wars) found in the tunnel sound like obvious disinformation, to me.
I would like to emphasize that the tunnel doesn't have to come up covertly before it is used to be a very serious threat.
All the tunnel has to do is approach the surface so that attackers can push a small periscope up and then wait until the attackers want to hit the sporting events and quickly break through to the surface and come out with their weapons (rifles, grenades, suicide vests) ready to fire.
How quickly would security react if some guys came trotting down the hill? Perhaps sporting bright clothing indicating they were big fans of the Venezuelan tennis players?
I assume police are merely acting so calm in order to try to catch whoever was building the tunnel before they get too scared and board a plane to flee to ISIL-held Syria.
Because it would be criminal stupidity not to see this as a potential threat, especially given recent attacks in Canada.
Or are Christian Canadian Afghanistan war veterans--perhaps Catholic Quebec independence fighters--really high on your list of suspects?
UPDATE: Pictures of the "mystery" tunnel.
