Toronto police are saying the two men who supposedly built the mysterious tunnel uncovered near York University in Toronto built it as a “place to hang out.”
Victor Kwong, spokesperson for the Toronto police, told CBC on March 2 the two men who remain unnamed built the “man cave” because they “just wanted to dig a cave.”
Toronto police said in a press release that with help from the public, police were able to identify the two men. Police also said there was no criminal intent and the investigation has concluded.
Conservation workers stumbled upon the tunnel in a wooded area near York in January. Toronto police began an investigation on the tunnel, which was metres away from Rexall Centre, an important facility to be used in the upcoming Pan American Games.
In a press conference Feb. 24, Toronto police deputy chief Mark Saunders said police were clueless as to who built the tunnel “chamber” and why it was built.
Saunders said he was worried someone was building another tunnel somewhere else, which could be a security concern.
The tunnel was almost two metres tall, ran 10 metres long, and was 2.5 metres below the surface, according to Saunders.
It was soundproof and reinforced by wooden planks. Found inside the tunnel was a generator, a water pump, and a moisture-resistant lightbulb. A poppy and a rosary were also found nailed to the wall.
Carleton engineering professor Siva Sivathayalan said the tunnel had a “professional design.”
“It appears to be somewhat of an over-design, but the construction clearly suggests whoever did this were technically savvy and had a good grasp of geotechnical and structural engineering principles,” he said.
Sivathayalan said upper-year civil engineering students, engineering technicians, and also people with construction experience would know how to build the tunnel.
Sivathayalan also said the individuals who built the tunnel must have been very committed.
“They had moved a fair bit of earth, given the facilities available to them. It must have been someone with strong interest and dedication to the ‘project,’” he said.
Dhruv Lohcab, an engineering graduate from York said the tunnel was clearly made by someone with experience.
“Off of my experience, I’d say it would take at least two to three years of schooling to know how to do this,” he said.
Lohcab said from his engineering studies, the tunnel could allow humans to live in for a considerable amount of time.
“It’s stable enough to be able to keep life under it for a while,” he said. “It will probably last awhile, given that there’s enough oxygen.”
The tunnel created a huge buzz online with jokes and speculation as to the tunnel’s purpose.
Chris Boddy, a Toronto police officer pleaded to the public via Twitter with light humour:
“If you built a tunnel near the Rexall Centre in Toronto give us a call, k?”
