Edmonton Tunnel Is A Total Mystery | HuffPost

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"What is it? Why is it there? When was it done? What was the purpose?”

Michelle Butterfield — The Huffington Post Alberta

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Video From CBC Edmonton

It turns out Toronto is not the only Canadian city that can lay claim to a mysterious underground tunnel.

An Edmonton restaurant owner has discovered a tunnel in his building's basement, and he's offering a free meal to anyone who can solve the mystery.

Mike Bhatnagar, owner of The Hat Resto Pub, told CTV News he first discovered the tunnel when he found a strange door in the basement while doing construction on the Jasper Avenue establishment.

The restaurant's building was constructed in 1908, making it one of the oldest eateries in town.

"Questions and questions and questions. What is it? Why is it there? When was it done? What was the purpose?" he said in an interview with CBC News.

The tunnel itself is small — there's old pipes and construction materials taking up space. He said he thinks it might have been a passageway, and believes it was bricked off at some point.

“The tunnel once ran under Jasper Avenue but has been blocked off. I have wondered if it might date back to Prohibition days,” he told the Edmonton Journal, describing the 11.5 metre-high by one metre-wide room.

"It would have been easy to roll a barrel through it. More recently, bricks have been used to define the tunnel and supports have been inserted to make it safe."

Bhatnagar told CBC News he has had historians look at the case, but no information has turned up. Inquiries to the building's previous two owners has resulted in a dead end, as well.

Toronto police announced the discovery of a tunnel on Feb. 24 and released photos of the site, prompting media coverage across Canada and abroad.

The tunnel's builder came forward a short time later, confessing he had build the so-called mystery tunnel as a place to hang out and relax.

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#TorontoTunnel Theories

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A view of the underground bunker after excavation by police. It was discovered in January near Toronto's Rexall Centre, a venue for the upcoming Pan Am Games. (credit:Toronto Police/CP)

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A view of the interior of the bunker, with plywood reinforcing the walls and ceiling. The bunker is more than six feet high. (credit:Toronto Police/CP)

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A photo provided by police of the rosary and Remembrance Day poppy found in the underground bunker. (credit:Toronto Police/CP)

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A mound of excavated dirt and a gas can, near the site of the underground bunker. (credit:Toronto Police/CP)

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The entrance to the bunker, with a sump pump water hose, electric extension cord and ladder. (credit:Toronto Police/CP)

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Another view of the bunker after excavation, in a photo provided by Toronto Police (credit:Toronto Police)

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Toronto Police have released photos of the items found in the bunker (credit:Toronto Police)

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A photo of the generator found at the scene, a Honda Kodiak model number SXB2800HX (credit:Toronto Police)

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A wheelbarrow found near the scene of the bunker (credit:Toronto Police)

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The cover to the tunnel, in a photo released by police. (credit:Toronto Police)

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This gallery shows photos of an estimated 25-foot tunnel that some Maritimers dug to access their vehicles in February 2015. (credit:Courtesy of Stephanie Collicutt)

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Love Your Water Bottle(87 of99)

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Improve Your Shovel ..(88 of99)

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