Ceili Cottage loses its yurt

For the past three years, from November to March, Ceili Cottage’s yurt has been Leslieville’s cold-weather drinking destination. The winterized patio even earned owner Patrick McMurray a blessing from the Mongolian Consul General when it first opened (the hand-painted construction was made and decorated in Mongolia before being shipped to Toronto). Now, due to circumstances beyond McMurray’s control, there will be no yurt this year. “We’re doing an après ski thing for now,” says McMurray, who’s toying with a few other ideas like an ice bar, a skating rink and an outdoor fire pit—but he’s also working on plans to tour the yurt, which is currently sitting in storage.