The tunnel, which measured more than 6 feet high and nearly 3 feet wide and snaked 33 feet long, was near York University and the Rexall Centre, the venue for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto in July.
The tunnel was 10 feet underground, with a ladder leading down to a chamber where it was possible for a person to move around.
A conservation officer stumbled on the tunnel in January, but police told the public about it last week. The announcement came amid heightened concerns about terrorism in Canada.
Toronto Police Constable Victor Kwong told CNN on Monday that two men who dug the tunnel made it for “personal reasons” that were not criminal. CNN asked for more details such as the identities of the men and an explanation of those personal reasons. Kwong declined to provide any further information.
Some took to Twitter with the hashtag #personalreasons to mock the police.
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The tunnel was equipped with electricity supplied by a generator, a sump pump to remove water, and a pulley system to remove dirt, Saunders said. It likely took more than one person to dig it out by hand. Ice that formed at the end of a hose attached to the sump pump indicates that the tunnel may have been used this winter.
“This was built with a considerable amount of sophistication,” Saunders said. “The individuals responsible for building it clearly had some expertise in structural integrity.”
Police also found a gas can, food and beverage containers, work gloves, a wheelbarrow and moisture-resistant light bulbs in the tunnel. Dirt covered a wooden lid that concealed the tunnel’s surface entrance.
The Pan American Games involves nearly 7,000 athletes from Latin America, South America, the Caribbean and North America. It is the third-largest international sports competition after the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.
CNN’s Chuck Johnston contributed to this story.
