Another Mysterious Tunnel Under A Toronto Restaurant Sparks Curiosity Anew

Mike Bhatnagar, owner of the restaurant, The Hat Resto Pub, along Jasper Avenue, Toronto, told the press he accidentally discovered a tunnel — concealed by a strange door — under his establishment while working in the basement. The tunnel, measuring a metre-wide and 11.5 metres long, could be 103 years old as the building. It appears to have been reinforced on the sides with cinderblocks and some dirt. Construction materials and old pipes were also seen crowding the underground passage.

"Is it a tunnel? Is it a crawlspace? Is it a storage space? What is it?" These were the questions he immediately asked himself upon seeing the tunnel. "I don’t know why. If it was just space, why would somebody bring in the dirt (to) fill this up?" he told CTV Edmonton.

He believes the tunnel could have been wider but was blocked during the construction of the Light Rail Transit. Bhatnagar bought the restaurant in 2013 and introduced some renovations, but never touched the basement until recently. Curious by its puzzling existence, Bhatnagar began a probe into its history, but neither the previous owners nor historians can shed light on its mystery. No records of the building’s blueprints, too, are found at the City of Edmonton Archives.

He speculated the tunnel might have served as a storage of beer during the Prohibition days, but was quick to brush it off by considering other historical events such as the World War I, the history of Edmonton City itself, and the fact that he was not sure whether smuggling was rampant in the past.

The building, built in 1908, had several changes made on its ground floor allegedly by previous owners; however, portions of its original construction are still preserved. In 1912, a restaurant, the Golden Spike, was already serving the public. That restaurant was later changed to a diner then to a place where people could practice tea leaf reading. In 1951, Paramount Theatre began operating a few doors from Bhatnagar’s The Hat.

Bhatnagar, a history enthusiast and a native of New Delhi, is offering free dinner for four to whoever can solve its mystery.

Early in February, a tunnel also sparked controversy. A YouTube video of the said tunnel is posted below.