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Toronto police are searching for the builder of a mysterious underground bunker, but say there was nothing to suggest any criminal activity was involved.
The bunker was discovered on Jan. 14, and is just a few hundred metres from the Rexall Centre, also known as the Canadian Tennis Centre, which will be hosting Pan Am tennis competitions this summer.
It was built in a wooded area just south of the tennis courts, Toronto Police Deputy Chief Mark Saunders said at a news conference Tuesday.
Saunders, who is the executive officer for Pan Am Games security, said there is “robust security” in place for the Games. He said security officials have not received any direct threats.
Police are still trying to find the builder or builders, but Saunders said that the bunker wasn’t thought to pose a public safety threat.
“I don’t have any evidence that suggests criminality at this point, but bear in mind I don’t have the intent behind this at this point. That could change. I’m open to anything right now,” he told media.
The bunker measured 1.9 metres tall by 0.9 metres wide by 10 metres long, police said. A 3-metre-deep tunnel with a ladder led into the bunker.
It appeared to have been built by hand, but with a “considerable amount of sophistication,” Saunders said. It likely took weeks, if not months, to be built.
It was found next to a pile of earth. The entrance was hidden by a wooden plank, which was covered with dirt to conceal it, police said.
The walls were supported by plywood planks, and moisture-resistant lights were installed inside. A gas-powered generator and tools were found inside, and a poppy affixed to a rosary was nailed to the wall.
Police found a gas can, food and drink containers, work gloves, a sump pump and a wheel barrow during their investigation.
They also found a pulley system, which police believe was used to carry dirt from the tunnel up to the surface while it was being dug.
Officers do not believe the builders intended to use the bunker for any type of criminal activity, Saunders said.
Anyone who saw something suspicious in the area or saw someone with building materials is asked to contact police. Anyone with more information is asked to call police at 416-808-3100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS).
