Toronto police had an important message Saturday for anyone who spotted military activity down by the city’s waterfront: “We are not being invaded.”
Canadian soldiers and army combat engineers conducted assault boat landing exercises on Toronto’s western beaches, including Sunnyside Park, Sir Casimir Gzowski Park and Hanlan’s Point Beach on the Toronto Islands.
In alerting the public that there was no cause for alarm and the exercises were indeed only a simulation, Toronto police tweeted:
PUBLIC ADVISORY:
— Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) October 22, 2016
Canadian forces conducting armed simulated training exercises in the Beaches area.
We are not being invaded.
^dh
The advisory was retweeted hundreds of times and drew humorous commentary from Canadians as well as our neighbours to the south:
@TPSOperations That's how it starts, Americans pretending to be Canadian soldiers and then BAM we're the 51st state.
— Denis (@DBSlugger) October 22, 2016
@TPSOperations @416raccoon Cool. *sets down makeshift cutlery+broomstick spear, resumes brunch*
— Mike Clark (@shapelike) October 22, 2016
@TPSOperations are you sure? May be our neighbours to the south trying to run away from election results ��
— Happy Traveller (@h4ppYtrave11er) October 22, 2016
@TPSOperations @acarvin I live on the other side of your beaches. We're not invading you. We just like to visit and hang out with you guys
— (((LJ))) (@ljohn44) October 22, 2016
The soldiers who conducted the training are members of the 32 Combat Engineer Regiment. They say the skills and techniques they are practising will help them in overseas operations and in response to domestic emergencies.
