Yurt of the Week: a photographic tour of an Occupy Toronto yurt
Yurt of the Week: a photographic tour of an Occupy Toronto yurt
Toronto’s burgeoning anti-capitalist occupation has a new, albeit unlikely, icon—the humble yurt. A group of labour unions, including OPSEU, donated three of the canvas-clad insulated huts—historically used by nomadic tribes in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia—to give the protesters some winter-friendly shelter. The expansive, bright white domes (which reportedly cost over $20,000 altogether) now stick out against the nylon tents in St. James Park like Rob Ford at a bikini contest. The largest of the structures (about the size of small condo) is still unused, but one has been turned into a medical centre and another is being used as a library. Apparently, boxes and boxes of books—including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Stephen King’s The Running Man and something called Weird Sex and Snowshoes—have been dropped off at the site (we’re guessing by people who’ve just discovered Kindles and now find paperbacks outmoded). We dropped into the library yurt to see the structure and browse the books. Check out our photographic tour »
Read More
- 101638
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- Pretty
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_13-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_13.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_13.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_13/
- nov11hotwyurt_13
- 0
- 0
- 101639
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- More books
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_12-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_12.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_12.jpg
- 420
- 624
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_12/
- nov11hotwyurt_12
- 0
- 0
- 101637
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- Sadly, we couldn’t find the corresponding Game Boy (it’s probably lost somewhere in 1991).
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_11-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_11.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_11.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_11/
- nov11hotwyurt_11
- 0
- 0
- 101636
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- We’re guessing that <em>Weird Sex and Snowshoes</em> doesn’t spend a lot of time on the shelves.
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_10-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_10.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_10.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_10/
- nov11hotwyurt_10
- 0
- 0
- 101635
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- Just some light reading material: Hobbes, Mill, Descartes.
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_9-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_9.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_9.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_9/
- nov11hotwyurt_9
- 0
- 0
- 101634
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- A close-up of the bagaan
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_8-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_8.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_8.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_8/
- nov11hotwyurt_8
- 0
- 0
- 101633
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- …especially when there is a lighter lying on the ground.
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_7-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_7.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_7.jpg
- 420
- 624
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_7/
- nov11hotwyurt_7
- 0
- 0
- 101632
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- A fire alarm seems smart in a wooden room packed full of paper…
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_6-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_6.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_6.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_6/
- nov11hotwyurt_6
- 0
- 0
- 101631
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- The rope dangling in the middle of the room is a bit menacing and, unfortunately, distracts from the yurt’s hand-painted huns (roof rafters), bagaan (column) and toono (dome).
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_5-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_5.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_5.jpg
- 420
- 624
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_5/
- nov11hotwyurt_5
- 0
- 0
- 101630
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- The yurt is 12 feet wide—large for a tent, not so much for a library.
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_4-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_4.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_4.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_4/
- nov11hotwyurt_4
- 0
- 0
- 101629
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- Is bright orange the new pinko?
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_3-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_3.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_3.jpg
- 420
- 624
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_3/
- nov11hotwyurt_3
- 0
- 0
- 101628
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- Budget cuts be damned, Toronto’s library system has expanded!
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_2-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_2.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_2.jpg
- 624
- 420
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_2/
- nov11hotwyurt_2
- 0
- 0
- 101642
- (Image: Matthew Hague)
- Yurt of the Week
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_intro-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_intro.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/nov11HOTWyurt_intro.jpg
- 656
- 415
- https://torontolife.com/real-estate/occupy-toronto-yurt/slide/nov11hotwyurt_intro/
- nov11hotwyurt_intro
- 0
- 0
 now stick out against the nylon tents in St. James Park like Rob Ford at a bikini contest. The largest of the structures (about the size of small condo) is still unused, but one has been turned into a medical centre and another is being used as a library. Apparently, boxes and boxes of books—including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Stephen King’s The Running Man and something called Weird Sex and Snowshoes—have been dropped off at the site (we’re guessing by people who’ve just discovered Kindles and now find paperbacks outmoded). We dropped into the library yurt to see the structure and browse the books. Check out our photographic tour »
[gallery order="DESC" columns="6"]){kind=link}