Tunnel discovery prompts call for a Pan Am security update in Hamilton
A Hamilton councillor wants reassurance about Hamilton's safety during the 2015 Pan Am Games in Hamilton after a mystery tunnel was found near a venue in Toronto.
Coun. Jason Farr of Ward 2 says he wants to hear from Hamilton Police about security at the July games, particularly after a tunnel was found in the woods near Toronto's Rexall Centre, which will host the tennis events during the Games, and York University's Keele campus.
The tunnel was large enough for a person to stand in, at around 2.5 metres in height, and was about seven metres long. The tunnel had lights inside, was powered by a generator, and the walls and ceiling were reinforced.
At Farr's initiative, the city's Pan Am subcommittee voted Tuesday morning to have Supt. Dan Kinsella of Hamilton Police update the group about Pan Am security. Kinsella is leading the police service's security initiatives for the games.
Hamilton's new Tim Horton's Field stadium will host the soccer games for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
"(People are) probably already asking questions in this community," Farr said. "Are we sniffing around and asking that our security is double checked and triple checked? How are we asserting ourselves to make certain we’re not going to come across a tunnel?"
Hamilton police wouldn't answer specific questions about security measures or say if they're being reviewed in light of the Toronto discovery, citing security concerns.
"For security reasons and in the interest of public safety, the details of operational plans and security measures cannot be made public." Const. Stephen Welton told CBC Hamilton.
"However, the Hamilton Police Service remains fully committed to community safety and we want the community to know that we will have appropriate security measures in place for the Pan Am Games."
There's been rampant speculation about how the Toronto tunnel got there, and what purpose it serves. At a 10 a.m. news conference, Toronto police said there is no evidence there was criminal intent behind the tunnel. Deputy Chief Mark Saunders also said the tunnel posed no risk to the games.
A Toronto and Region Conservation Authority employee reportedly found the tunnel while walking near the TRCA headquarters in mid-January. The employee, who was carrying out day-to-day activities, noticed a piece of corrugated steel in the woods, and when it was lifted, the tunnel could be seen about three metres down.